The Pilgrimage of the Last Crystal Caravan
by Ysavvryl
Summary: The one who brought the sickening miasma is gone. Now is the time for healing... for the world, and for a few lost souls in it.
1. Question

**Chapter 1: Question**

The final hoots of the owl came with the first calls of other birds. Creaking softly, the open window let in a crisp morning breeze. Someone outside called out to a neighbor, exchanging hearty greetings. Inside the inn room, he stared up at the ceiling trying to think… he'd dreamed of a bright thriving village, eaten away by white until it was a gray place of ruins and monsters. And white ate away that too, consuming until all was silent.

"What am I doing here?" he asked the ceiling.

It didn't reply. Some dog outside started barking, followed by a boy's laughter.

Sitting up, he glanced around at the room he was in. It was an inn, he felt fairly sure of that. But, "Where am I?" He clasped his hand to his chest, trying to think.

His name was Hurdy; he was pretty sure of that. He got up from the bed and looked out the window to see what was there. In the center of a grand stone plaza, a giant clear crystal sparkled brightly in the morning sun. Alfitaria. That had to be the place. But that still didn't answer the question of what he was doing here.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Sir, are you awake?"

"Yes," he called back, getting up to the door. But he was only in pajamas. Glancing around, he spotted a travel bag. It should have clothes in it.

Or not, since the person on the other side said, "Good morning then. I've got your laundry done, and some breakfast ready. I'll leave it out here for you to pick up."

"All right," Hurdy said, checking on his bag. Something on a string caught his eye: a small fragment of crystal, attached to a clam shell. The crystal glimmered faintly; it would need some myrrh to be recharged. "When did I get you?" he mumbled, taking the shell pendant and examining it closely.

No answer came into his mind. There were also no clothes in the travel bag. But, someone else had apparently done his laundry. He got back up to open up the door, finding a large basket with folded clothes and a pair of receipts. A tray with warm apple bread, ham slices, and poached eggs was sitting on a little table nearby. At that rustic scent, his stomach stirred in protest like he hadn't eaten anything this good in some time. So he might have been traveling before today. Hurdy just couldn't think of what he'd been doing before this morning.

He brought the breakfast and laundry in, shutting the door for privacy. While he ate, he felt like he food should remind him of something. Home? But he couldn't remember what he should remember. He couldn't remember anything.

Nothing at all.

White ate it.

Hurdy shuddered, dropping his fork on the plate. He recalled a feeling, perhaps from that dream, perhaps from longer ago… utter terror and helplessness… and then it was gone. But it was something he felt, from something he didn't remember. After a moment of trying to figure out what, he decided he was too hungry to do so and finished off the breakfast he had. He should be grateful that he had a good home-cooked breakfast, and a soft bed… and a safe place to sleep. That was all good, even if he couldn't tell himself the why and how of it.

Once he was done with the food, he set the tray aside to consider the receipts and laundry. The bill… two separate ones, from the innkeeper (who probably had been the one to talk to him) and from the laundry washer. Did he have money to pay the bills? He should; it was foolish to take these services without the ability to pay them even if he had really needed both. Had he? He probably had, since traveling was a rough life and there wouldn't always be a chance to wash his clothes. It was foolish to outside of a town because the miasma tainted everything outside the safety of the crystals.

Miasma… the terror flickered through his mind again, followed now by a bold hope that everyone told him was foolish to follow, just a dream. But a grand dream, and someone with him… someone…

His head hurt now. Hurdy rubbed at it. "Maybe I shouldn't try too hard," he said to himself, then searched the travel bag. There should be money. And yes, in one of the side pockets, there was a leather pouch with… "That's an awful lot of gil. How did I get it? Not that I could know."

But it was more than enough to pay for the bills. He separated out some to do so, then started sorting out his laundry and other things. Inside, he found the uniform of a preacher or priest. That felt right. That was who he was, a preacher. The coat and hat were reversible too, a purple and red pattern on one side, and a gold and white colored pattern on the other. Peculiar… what would a preacher need of such a dark-colored uniform? Hurdy liked the gold and white pattern better, so he flipped the coat around so he could put it on with that side showing.

As he was putting the rest of the clothes away, he found something else in his bag: two journals, one with a cover depicting a celestial chart and the other with a still-life of a bushel of apples and some wheat. Did he keep a diary? That was a relief to him, something that might explain how he'd ended up here. Hurdy picked up the celestial one and opened it up to the first page.

'Raem is a name I shouldn't forget. It is due to Raem that I forget. I forget who Raem is, other than that. After some thought, I have concluded that Raem is the dream figure that keeps eating my memories. (side-note: this is so. This is so. This is so.) I don't know how long he lets me go with making new memories, but eventually he comes back into my dreams and eats them again. I fear Raem. I hate Raem. I can't win against Raem. It is a never-ending battle against him (side-note: like he says) even if I try to run like my brother Gurdy says I should. But if someone doesn't win against Raem, the miasma will always hang over us. I wanted to free the world of miasma. I'm sure of that, but I don't remember it anymore.'

'Hurdy, don't tell people that we lost our memories. They don't believe us. They also mistake us for each other all the time. Comes of being brothers, huh? It does suck that I can't see you now, and talk to you. But hey, I can write you thanks to that journal sharing spell. We must have had good reason for that; it helps so much now, so I'll be honest with you. Promise.'

'Gurdy, did Raem get to you too? Were we together? I know someone was with me, a warrior I think.'

'No, that was Leon Esla you recall. I'm no warrior either, so we had to get someone to help us. I think we were doing something important then, but I don't remember. Of course I don't I remember. Neither of us do. We owe Leon, though, for something. I know it.'

"Raem." The name gave him chills. That was the name of the white thing that was in his dreams. And the one who ate his memories? It felt true.

At least he had these journals. Hurdy read through both journals, seeing what was recorded there. It seemed like his brother was a troublemaker, as he often apologized for giving him trouble with towns or caravans. Gurdy never said what he was doing to get into trouble. But then, Hurdy only chastised him a little. His brother was all he had of the past, and their shared journals the only way he knew. He tried to be a good influence, however he could.

Once he'd refreshed himself on what was in the journals, Hurdy secured his pack and headed out. He paid the innkeeper for both bills, thanking him for the delicious breakfast and excellent work with the laundry. Hurdy then went to the shops to pick up supplies he was missing, including a new journal since the other two were full. Thankfully, they had a nice one that had a spear and a lilty-style helm on the cover. He still wasn't sure where the money came from; maybe his brother? But it was plenty for what he needed.

A lilty woman paused by him as he was putting away the new journal. "What are you doing here?" she asked, disgruntled.

"Just some shopping," Hurdy said, glancing down at her. "Should I know you?"

"You certainly should," she said, glowering up at him. "Unless you truly don't remember like him."

"I don't remember anything before this morning," he admitted since she suggested it. "I'm sorry, I can't explain myself."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I want to say it's all your fault, for leading him off to chase a crazy dream. But you both paid the consequences for it. I'm just worried about what could happen now."

"Why is that?" he asked. All his fault; that also felt true.

"What does it matter to you?" she asked back. "You'll forget again and there's nothing you can do about it. I should do something, but it's hard to know what to do."

"I can write things down," Hurdy said. "It's why I bought a new journal, you see. And I might be able to do something you can't."

"Well..." she thought about it, then sighed. "Could we at least talk back at my home?"

"All right, m'am," Hurdy said.

She had to talk the guard into letting him into the residential area of Alfitaria. As this was a town mostly of lilities, Hurdy had to duck through the doorway to get inside. Jona had a cozy home, with dried herbs hanging on the ceiling and a spinning wheel with spools of thread in a bin nearby. Some family portraits were on the wall, including a lilty knight in distinctive armor.

Seeing him look at that picture, Joana said, "He won that armor in a local tournament; the blacksmith made it fit perfectly to him. He's the only one who can wear it well. As he kept fighting well above others, he became known as the Black Knight."

"What's his name?" Hurdy asked, feeling like the silhouette was familiar.

"Leon Esla," Jona said.

"My brother told me to remember that name," Hurdy said. "Although neither of us remember why."

"It's because you talked him into trying to get rid of the miasma with you," she said. "You were here telling anybody who'd listen that there was some treasure in a desert that was key to doing so. I don't remember all of it, but you got Leon inspired and he went off with you. But then, you both disappeared somewhere in the swamp far to the west. Our boy, Leon Jr, he was born around that time. We've only heard rumors of what happened, that the Black Knight had gone mad and was attacking anyone who came across him." Jona paused and sighed. "That's not like him, but he seems to have lost his memories. I can't imagine what's that like."

"I don't know about him, but I feel like I know a lot and nothing at once," Hurdy said. "It must be tough on you too."

"The worst of it is that I think Leon has heard things wrong about his father," Joana said. "He's out practicing his spearmanship whenever he can get the chance. While he hasn't told me, others have said that he thinks that the Black Knight killed his father, not realizing that his father is the Black Knight. I fear that he's out to kill the Black Knight, if his father doesn't fall to something else before then. I've tried to tell Leon what's going on, but I get upset when I try." Then she frowned at him. "I still think this is your fault."

Maybe that was true; Hurdy couldn't really know. "Maybe I can do something to stop the two of them from coming to blows," he said. "Is Leon Jr. old enough to go out with a caravan?"

She shook her head. "No, he's just a boy. He might be able to understand by then. However, I've been given an offer to take a job in another town. I'd like to take it, but I can't help but fear that maybe we'd meet him out on the road, and something bad will happen to one or both of them. Meanwhile, you've been doing nothing helpful and there rumors of worse, like you're smuggling bananas."

Hurdy titled his head. "Smuggling bananas? I know bananas are rare, but I don't see the sense in outlawing or smuggling them."

Sighing, Jona said, "It's an expression for doing something ridiculous for money. Never mind, I shouldn't have talked to you."

"Well I could talk to your son or find some way to take your husband elsewhere," Hurdy sand. "You never know until you try, so why not do so as soon as you are able? I'll give it a try."

"That was the same kind of thing you talked Leon into this nonsense with," she snapped. "And it's the same kind of thing as before. While it'd be nice if you could save someone, somebody will probably end up dead anyhow. Or worse, as seems to have happened."

There was something strange to how her attitude shifted so strongly. But in any case, this was going badly. "I think I can still do something, so thank you for telling me." He bowed and headed out.

Once outside, he left the residential district and went back to the crystal plaza. It made for a good place to sit down and record what he'd heard. But, this was all his fault? White, or Raem, eating his memories through his dreams, something about Leon and the Black Knight, a father might be killed by his son…

 _That will happen, you can be sure of it._

"Hmm?" Hurdy looked up into the crystal he was sitting by. This was the largest crystal in the known world, so clear and pure. The town around it was curved in various ways, the people stretched out in changing ways. However, that wasn't what he was seeing. It felt like it wasn't the crystal talking to him either, but...

 _You cannot defeat Raem with your memories._

It was all white, all empty. All devoured. Something towered over them, something they could not defeat. But why was that so? Why were their memories not enough? What were their memories?

 _You were the one who had this crazy idea, foolish charlatan. It's your fault that you both are here, that you lost. Actually, there's no reason to kill either of you. You've lost and become hollow as a result. When you do die, there will be nothing left of you. But even if you forget, you should know this: this is all your fault._

"You're a fool, Hurdy. This was our responsibility and you're just going to stay here?"

"What could be better than getting rid of the miasma entirely? This research is fascinating; we could really make a difference with this!"

"But we're supposed to get the myrrh and get back to aaaaaa before the crystal fades. We have to go across the Jegon anyhow to get any more drops and we're low on capable fighters."

"You complain about how I fight anyhow, so what's that matter to you? I want to pursue this research."

 _What kind of holy man are you? Not even one, just pretending to be so people think highly of you. Your studies have ruined more than just you both. People have died to your words. Hmph, you should continue to forget with such delicious pain in your heart. Or maybe you should just die now. In that case, stay right there or run away right now. Either way, you will perish._

Hurdy's blood went cold as he saw the white emerge from the crystal, consuming whatever it touched. He realized that he'd continued writing while gazing into the crystal. Maybe he should… but no, he should do something to help the Black Knight. You had to try, even if you kept failing. Something would eventually work. Picking up his bag and journal, he walked away from the crystal. The white crept around the edges of his vision, removing the whole town of… where was he? What was he doing here?

He spotted a lilty boy off in an empty patch of grass, focused on practicing with his spear. That boy might… no, he would kill his father. Raem said so. But why?

Why was he walking when this white was consuming everything around him?

Hurdy ran until the white overtook him and he collapsed in fear and confusion.

* * *

"Hmm?" Who was crying?

And why was he lying face down on a dirt road?

Gurdy grumbled and sat up where he was. On rubbing his face, he found dirt and soreness there. His head hurt all over, actually, and his thoughts felt foggy. He was on a dirt road up a hill, towards a place that seemed dark and foreboding. Away from the hill, he could spot a large city and the crystal it huddled around… Alfitaria. Then he was probably outside of Tida, a place where there was a myrrh tree. Although he couldn't remember where he'd heard that.

"Ugh, how'd I end up out here with this hangover?" he grumbled. "Or did someone mug me?" He reached for his bag, thankfully at his side.

For some reason, there was an unfamiliar journal in his hands. It had a spear and helmet on it; the helmet had an emblem for the knights of Alfitaria. Maybe a gift from his brother? That might explain the clothes. He opened the bag, but drew a blank on what he'd been doing lately. The bag seemed well-stocked with food and travel supplies; the money pouch had plenty of money. If he'd been mugged, the thieves hadn't made off with much.

There was also a shell pendant with a crystal attached to the side of the bag. Glancing around, Gurdy realized that he was alone. That felt unusual, especially since he often mooched off others for protection. The protection circle was quite small, though. Looking at the pendant again, he realized the crystal was faint. It needed some myrrh. And there was a place with a myrrh tree nearby, conveniently.

That is, convenient if you didn't might fighting for it. Monsters couldn't be scammed. Maybe he could wait until a caravan came by. Even with it being faint, the crystal should protect him for a while. Gurdy opened up the journal to see if Hurdy had written anything explaining the gifts of the journal and pendant. But the writing was an uncharacteristic mess, starting off fine but getting crooked and panicked as it went on.

'Gurdy, I've learned something terrible here in Alfitaria. That Leon Esla is the Black Knight. I hired him for my mission to rid the world of miasma, so he was the one who was with me. Since he was there, he's lost his memory too. His wife told me about him some. She blames me for talking him into joining me on my mission. More importantly, he has a young son who believes that the Black Knight killed his father. The boy is now training to kill the Black Knight. We owe Leon Esla a lot, for something, so we owe it to him to figure out a way to clear things up.

'Raem is haunting me; I see his light in the crystal. it's all my fault. I'me the cause of all our suffering. I made selfish decisions that hurt others and myself. I'm a terrible person to fool everyone it's all my fault! What did I do? Stop it Raem! Tell me what happened! Leave me alone! Did I truly deserve this? Maybe so. Alfiteria will be devoured and I'll be surrounded by emptiness again. What did I do that was so wrong?'

"You don't deserve this, brother," Gurdy said, reaching for a pen to write back. "Maybe I do; I must have convinced you to do something that messed up your plans. You only wanted to do good. Hmmm."

The other two journals he kept were in his bag, full of exchanges between him and Hurdy. He read back over them trying to gleam some idea of what was going on. But other than this news about the Black Knight and Hurdy seeing something terrifying in Alfitaria's crystal, it wasn't clear what was most current. A lot of the journals seemed like older material.

"First things first, we don't want Hurdy to get paranoid or depressed," he said to himself, then began to write.

'Hey Hurdy, don't let the things Raem says get to you. My head's kinda foggy this morning (or noon?), but I know he just wants to make us suffer. If you think we should help this Black Knight, then I'll see what I can do. But he's supposed to be a vicious fighter; not sure how somebody like me is supposed to approach him.'

Something flickered out of the edge of his vision, so he swatted at it with his pen. There was a strange gurgle in response, getting him to look over and see something that was nothing, a spot of white light in the middle of air. Immediately, his nerves went tense and he knew he was in danger. He brought the journal up between him and the light, not knowing what it would do but hoping…

The light backed off. _Get rid of that thing._

"N-no, I don't think so," Gurdy said, his heart racing but he did not want to give up this journal for anything. It was his only link to his brother, aside from somehow borrowing his clothes every now and then.

 _Get rid of it!_

"No!" he said, using one of his rings to try burning it away. It was a spot of nothing.

It did not burn. But a scream of battle frenzy came from behind him, quickly followed by a figure of black armor that slammed a crooked sword at the light. However, it merely bobbed away. "I won't let you escape," the armored person growled.

Getting to his feet, Gurdy backed off, holding the journal to his chest. "Right, you tell that light," he said, trying Blizzard now that someone else was between him and the danger.

The Blizzard didn't work, and neither did the Black Knight's next attack (that had to be the Black Knight, distinctive armor and such). _You should witness._ After those strange words, the light rose up into the sky and vanished into the sun.

"You..." the Black Knight dropped his stance, weary now that the battle was put off, "you coward."

"Well, we couldn't do anything about him this time, but something has to work," Gurdy said, already getting some thoughts of how to gain some gil from this. But then, scamming the Black Knight, one of the fiercest warriors around, was probably not a good idea. It would be legendary if he managed it, though.

The Black Knight looked over at him. His height made it clear that he was a lilty, but his armor covered him entirely. "What, you could see the light too?"

Good quality armor too, not visibly banged up from years of fighting. And around his neck, there was a crystal with a weak glow. Perfect. Gurdy nodded. "Oh yes, but that spirit hides from most people. They're lucky without realizing it, since Raem just loves to torment people."

"Raem..." the lilty looked off. "That sounds right. You've been cursed by him too."

"Yes, me and my brother Hurdy," Gurdy said.

"We can't let him win, we won't turn hollow," the Black Knight said. "Would you fight him with me? I mean to get back my memories from him. Raem."

"Well, I'm more of a story-teller than a fighter," he said. "Although I can use magic half-decently. Still, I notice that your compact crystal is fading; so is mine, actually. There should be a myrrh tree up this hill and if the light is going to leave us be for the moment, we can go there together to see how we fight as a pair."

"Sure, although Raem will be back," he said. "It is a never ending battle for those of us cursed by Raem. We may as well take advantage of this reprieve to make sure we have some safety."

"Good, then let's go," Gurdy said, although he was worried about this prospect. The abandoned town seemed dangerous. But then, any place with myrrh trees was full of monsters and danger, and this crystal of his did need its power refreshed. He should be fine with this Black Knight along, though.

* * *

This ghost town was an awful place to be. The paths were crowded with monsters and lined with giant cobwebs. While he should keep an eye on the monsters here, he couldn't help but keep an eye on the gray skies. The light could come back at any time. It often came back when he relaxed his guard, so he could never let his guard down. Even though he was tired now, he would fight until he dropped of exhaustion. That was how he lived because he did not want Raem to drain him completely dry.

However, there was one good thing now. He was no longer the only one being chased by the light. He now knew of two others who were, and was traveling with one of them. Unfortunately, Gurdy was right in that he wasn't much of a fighter. He was better than he stated in terms of magic, having a variety of magic rings that he could cast with quickly. And once they found a red magicite in a chest, Gurdy was able to call on a small firestorm that wiped out all the cobwebs and many of the monsters around them. That made it easier for them to keep an eye out for the light.

But the light didn't come back, not even when they fought a living monstrous house with a cannon for an arm. That monster wasn't Raem, though, and they could banish it. His sword bashed it to smithereens while it burned from Gurdy's magic. Once it was gone, their way was cleared to a shining blue tree. There was a feeling of peace near it, which was unnervingly close to emptiness. There were no monsters, though.

"Here, if you put your crystal in this shell, both shards should pick up the droplet of myrrh," Gurdy said, holding the shell pendant he had out.

He nodded and took the pendant off his neck to place on the shell. With them both together, Gurdy placed them on a conveniently flat root underneath the coiled point of the tree. The presence of the two shards made the strange canopy of the tree shimmer, gathering moisture until a small drop fell off the point. The droplet of myrrh pooled in the shell, making the two crystals shine.

"With these small ones, they need to soak in the myrrh for about ten minutes," Gurdy said. "So how about we put together some lunch? I'm not sure when I actually ate last."

"We can't relax," he said, sagging down now that he wasn't in action. "The light can come back whenever it wants."

"Well you look like you could take a break," he said. "That was a tough crawl through this ghost town. Raem hasn't come back, so we can hope for some more time. How about this: you keep watch while I cook up something, and then I can keep watch while you eat."

"Fine, that works," he said, taking a walk around the myrrh tree to figure out the area. There was a ring of water around the tree, not deep but it made the ground uneven and damp. There wasn't a monster in sight, not even in the house monster's arena.

"Did you want to introduce yourself at any time?" Gurdy asked while he got out some rice and a pot.

"I don't know my name, but people call me the Black Knight," he said. It was frustrating to fight the feeling of being hollow when he didn't even have a name. He tried to think up a name for himself, but nothing felt right. The Black Knight was at least descriptive.

"Well, I've heard some stories you might be interested in since you are the Black Knight," he said, pulling out a jug of water and some cherries. "It's said around Alfitaria that the Black Knight used to lead their caravan as Leon Esla."

"Hmm?" The reaction was instant, hearing his name and wondering if someone was calling him. It fit like a glove. "Leon…? That seems to be my name."

"That's better than calling you the Black Knight," Gurdy said cheerfully. "I'm afraid that I learned a lot of this recently, so I haven't had time to make a compelling story out of it. But I'll tell you what I know. Leon Esla has a family, a wife named Jona and a son named Leon Jr Esla. When he was a caravanner, he won a competition in monster hunting. As a reward, he got personalized armor from the Alfitaria blacksmith, one that could be worn by no one else. That was how he became known as the Black Knight."

The story brought no images from his memory, since his memory was empty save for today. But, Jona's name felt dear. Having a son, that also felt right. And irritating since he felt like both of them were something very important that he should remember. "I can't say if it's true or not, but it sounds good," Leon said.

"I know, it could make for a great story with some time!" he said enthusiastically. "There's some more too if you wanted to turn it to tragedy. The facts I've told you are confirmed facts, but there are some rumors too, including that the Black Knight ended up killing Leon Esla. Leon Jr may have heard that one, because he spends his days training himself to fight rather than playing as most children his age do."

Leon paused in his patrol. He'd been thinking that he'd like to head to Alfitaria and see if he could find his family. But if his son might be vengeful, then it wasn't a good idea to go there. "I don't know how I'd dispel those rumors. I'm too busy trying to keep the light out of my mind to do anything else."

Gurdy now had the pot set up on a rack to not overcook the rice. "Right, the light is always watching. But have you considered trying to become a paladin? That would make quite a twist to the tale."

"Can that kind of thing be done anymore?" Leon asked.

"It should be possible if one could discover the method," Gurdy said. "They say that paladins can defeat enemies that other warriors can't touch, which may be true of Raem too, who knows? But it requires great dedication to earn such recognition and keep it, plus the method is possibly lost to time. Although if you could find a place with many old books, you might just find the one that details how to become a paladin."

While he only remembered what happened today, something did come into mind. "I know of a place with many old books."

"Oh really?" Gurdy said. Was he disappointed? It was hard to tell.

"It's not too far from here," Leon said. "It might even be in view if the sky were clear."

Some time later, Gurdy had some fruited rice for lunch ready, along with dried meat. It had been a long time since Leon had eaten something cooked fresh, at least he thought that was the case. It certainly felt unfamiliar to sit down, shift aside the face mask of his helmet, and take some time to eat. Still, he felt tense, like he should hurry up and finish. Gurdy was keeping watch as he said, although he seemed to be muttering something to himself and making notes all the while.

Leon felt weary by the time he finished eating; he'd been sitting for too long. He got up and stretched right as the strangest thing happened. Outside of the protection of the myrrh tree, the haze of miasma began to condense. That shouldn't happen, right? He grabbed his sword against some trick by Raem, causing Gurdy to become alert to the change too. Then, the miasma rolled right away with a gust of wind, like a wave of pure clean air was wiping it out of the sky. The flames from the campfire leapt out of the ring of stones that had been left nearby, catching onto some grass.

"Whoa, can't let that happen," Gurdy called, taking his gaze off the vanishing miasma to cast Blizzard at the escaping fire.

After watching a moment more, Leon turned to help him by kicking some of the damp dirt onto the flames. Between them, they got the fire put out in a couple of minutes. He checked the ground for embers, then looked back upwards. A clear blue sky instead of gray clouds of miasma sat over Tida Village now. "What was that?" Leon said, checking for the light. But there was only the sun.

"Maybe someone did dispel all miasma around the world," Gurdy said. "But who?"


	2. Research

**Chapter 2: Research**

Gurdy had taken a bit of his 'patrol time' to flip his reversible coat and hat around, so it was on the pattern he preferred. While he couldn't do much about the white pants and shoes, it wasn't that noticeable. The clothes seemed freshly cleaned, which was really nice. A traveler often had to dust their clothes off, attend to stains quickly or learn to ignore them, and take that as the best cleaning while on the road. Best of all, the socks were dry. He wasn't sure why that was best, other than wet socks sounded unpleasant and the thought popped into his mind when he'd been checking on his shoes.

Leon sounded tired, but he insisted on setting out once they were done cleaning up after lunch. That meant going back through the maze of cobwebs across Tida again. Strangely, the monsters they'd killed hadn't respawned yet. The ones they ignored were still there and Leon got distracted a bit in fighting off some near the darkened crystal.

Unlike normal shining crystals, the ones that had lost their shine didn't reflect well. Gurdy could see a shadowy image of himself when he looked into it. Was there another crystal so large that had lost its shine? Stories shifted through his mind, known although their origins were forgotten. There were tales of travelers who'd neglected to refresh compact crystals; they'd either barely survived a long exposure to miasma or been discovered as remains. There were no stories he heard of an entire town's crystal fading other than this one,

The crystal under a beautiful blue sky… something was eluding him. It had to be some memory of here. "Each chalice has a unique reaction to the myrrh trees," he said, finding some comfort against the missing memory by reciting what he'd heard. "That is why… the myrrh trees only give one drop to a chalice every other year. It matters not if caravans from Alfitaria, Marr's Pass, and Shella come here in one year. As long as they have not come the previous, they will each get one and exactly one drop of myrrh from the tree. This is because..."

A few streaks of light sparkled on the dark crystal. Looking up at them, he realized it was the reflection of the sun. Not from the crystal itself.

"This is because the chalice, when in a certain radius of the tree, saps away at the memories of those who travel under its protection," Gurdy continued. This wasn't the usual kind of story he told. "It is a slow drain that won't be noticed, but those who travel in a caravan for several years will find their memories blurring together as their mind tries to account for the missing ones. When it is seen that the tree is giving a drop of myrrh, it is unseen that the chalice sends its gathered memories to the tree, where they are gathered by Raem who rations out the myrrh and calls upon the monsters. The myrrh blesses the crystal to shine and keep away the miasma, but it is also cursed to drain the memories of those who live under it as well. This is Raem's curse, and the reason why miasma flows more strongly as time progress."

But what would happen now with the miasma gone? How long would it remain away?

 _The parasite is dead._

"Hmm?" He looked to where the voice came from… within the crystal?

The surface of the crystal wavered like a pond disturbed by a breeze. Leon must have dispatched the monsters since he was coming up the stairs to the crystal's side. "What's it doing?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think the crystal is trying to talk to us," Gurdy said.

An image appeared on the crystal, of two teenaged boys standing where they were now, also a clavat and a lilty. The clavat had a familiar hairstyle, long blond hair curled neatly and evenly. "If we can do it, we ought to try. We can't just accept this way of life forever."

The other boy sighed in exasperation. He didn't seem much like Leon, since his dark sprigs spread out like a fountain. "Face it, your father was a charlatan trying to make money off fairy tales, and you'll end up the same way if you keep doing as he does. It's the way all so-called priests are."

"He was not a charlatan," the clavat said, sounding hurt. Ah, that must have been Hurdy. "This is no fairy tale, it's the hidden truth. We really believe in it, that we could save the world. But he's gone now and I want to fulfill his dream."

The lilty hopped off the stone platform. "Hah, you can't follow dreams when you're awake. I won't let the caravan get distracted in such fancies; you'd better just quit now and make your own way."

"But I want to get to Shella!" Hurdy said, jumping off and running after the lilty.

"That seems to have been my brother," Gurdy said.

"Did your family come from here?" Leon asked.

He shrugged. "I don't think so, but the crystal has seen him, so Hurdy was here at some time. I wonder if it's seen you or me."

The images had blurred away already, but became crisp once more. This time, it showed another lilty, one whose sprigs fanned out like Leon's did. He wasn't in his distinctive armor nor did he have the dark sword in hand. But he did have the standard armor of Alfitaria's knights. "Why did they stay so long?" he asked. "Too long; they would have been welcomed in Alfiaria, if we knew sooner."

"It remembers me as I was," Leon said, saddened. "I don't, but I guess memory of me hasn't disappeared from the world yet."

On the crystal's surface, the past Leon tightened his grip on his spear. "We can't let any other towns fall like this. There must be some way to be rid of the miasma for good. But, who would know? And would Jona be okay if I took such a risk?" He looked troubled at that thought, but the memory ended there.

 _I don't recall anything more, just glimpses. Sorry._

Leon went still at the crystal's voice, then reached out to it. "It's fine, at least it's within you. I just hope I can remember seeing it."

 _You should. The memory eaters were defeated; the parasite is dead._

"Are they?" Gurdy asked, shocked to hear this. "That's incredible! Hurdy will be glad to hear of that. But, who could defeat Raem?"

"Did they truly defeat Raem?" Leon asked, skeptical of it.

 _Yes, they did. A pair from Tipa Village, a young selkie woman and a moogle._

The Tida crystal then showed them another memory of the cursed town. The selkie had short hair the color of wheat and carried a large racket as her weapon. Without monsters nearby, she was taking a moment to pause and remember. "Lightning brings the cactus pain; now it all begins again."

That was immediately familiar to him. "Hmm? That's..."

"Of crumbled inn few reminisce, its faulty beams will not be missed," she recited on.

"I know that poem," Gurdy said.

"You do?" Leon asked.

"Lonely mushroom bursts to flame, in the land that quicksands claim. Three rocks await winter's kiss, one by one they receive their bliss."

"I am a storyteller," he said. "That one is important. Somehow."

"It should be clear once we get there," she said, not finishing the poem. "That is, if Gurdy isn't spinning wild tales again. But he always seems so serious when he recites this poem, not the same as when he's lying. How am I going to convince them to go clear to Lynari Desert, even for myrrh? He still gets after me for suggesting Conall Curach. Maybe next year when I can take over leadership..."

"Souffle!" someone called, barely coming into the crystal's sight.

The selkie scowled briefly, then turned around and jumped with a flip off the platform. "It's Tsu Fai, not Souffle! Cut it out!" Whoever it was laughed at her and the memory ended.

"That name got written down in one of my journals," Gurdy said. "So that's who she is."

"She beat Raem?" Leon asked, still unsure of it. "But Raem is unbeatable. I could never win against him, only lose over and over."

 _Everyone was forgetful because of the memory eaters, but she wrote things down and read them back often, including how she felt about what she experienced. Tsu Fai retained more memories than most people in that way. With the strength of her memories, she was able to defeat Raem before he could steal more than a few memories. Raem was unbeatable without such diligence._

Writing things down was the actual key to winning an unwinnable fight? That was strange. Gurdy was fairly certain that Hurdy had always kept a journal. What was the difference that let Tsu Fai win?

"But I don't remember anything more than what I've been told!" Leon said, in a desperate way that was at odds with the armor he wore. "Did we have to kill Raem ourselves to get our memories back?"

 _Your memories were consumed. We are sorry, there was nothing we could do splintered as we are. There was nothing you could do either even if you found a way past the need of strong memories to defeat Raem. But you can finally retain new memories and build your lives from there._

"But there's nothing to build a life out of for us," Leon said, looking down.

"We do have this day, and any more that come," Gurdy said, then laughed at himself. "Ah, my brother would be better at encouragement. I just live from day to day, so it makes sense for me to just start from where I am."

"I suppose we must," Leon said, although he sounded dissatisfied at it.

 _You're travelers. May I ask something of you? I wish to go home; take me, please._

"Don't you belong here?" Leon asked.

"No," Gurdy said, stories coming into mind. "The parasite crashed into our world, on the home of the Great Crystal. The Crystal shattered from the impact, but its will to protect the world was enough for it to cast its fragments in places where people gathered. This fragment fell in Tida, but it belongs..." his mind went fuzzy, abruptly interrupting his words. "Uhh… I should know."

 _The Great Crystal resided at Mount Vellenge. However, our will has changed. The world still needs more healing. I have been called to a new home in Tipa. Will you take me there?_

Gurdy thought about it for a moment. There was no way to make a profit off transporting a crystal. And that was with him being able to figure out lots of creative ways to make money. Still, he could just imagine his brother insisting that the Great Crystal was the source of all life and helping its fragments was for the benefit of the whole world. Hurdy was a goody-two-shoes like that, and naive on top of that. "How would we even move you?" Gurdy asked.

"I would like to help, but yes, you're much bigger than any of these houses," Leon said.

 _It's not an obstacle._ The crystal shimmer light deepening shadows, then shrank down to the size of a striped apple. _How about now?_

Leon reached out to take the crystal floating in midair. "That's fine, we could easily take you to Tipa. Maybe not immediately; we'd like to go to Moschet Manor to find a book on how I could become a paladin.

 _That will be a good place for you to start. Thank you._

"Moschet Manor huh?" Gurdy asked, recalling a story that always seemed humorous until one was going to that monster mansion. "There's books there?"

Leon nodded. "One of the rooms is a library. I can't think of seeing it, but I know there was advice to always check the library as there's often chefs searching cookbooks. We should hurry since it'll be easier to find places to hide for the night inside the manor."

And when Leon said to hurry, he meant it. His stride was walking and yet Gurdy found himself jogging at points to keep up. They made wide berth around Alfitaria as Leon did not want to get found by anyone from there. Off to the southwest of the city, there was a massive heavy stone palace that no human had ruled from. Instead, a giant ogre and his lamia wife lived there. They didn't rule over anyone, just staying in their manor in luxury and locking away a myrhh tree to where caravaners had to fight them to claim a drop.

They weren't after the mryhh now, but they did need something inside. Gurdy hoped they could search through the books without being bothered. In the central courtyard, there were a group of gargoyles and courels. They were nasty enemies to fight, but they could stick to the shadows of the corridors to avoid them. In the northwest corner of the manor, there was the library. It was a tall room with walls turned to bookshelves that were packed full of books. Interestingly, they were all normal sized books instead of giant for the giant owner of this place.

"I have no idea how one is supposed to search this efficiently," Leon said, looking over at a moogle hovering near one of the higher shelves. "I'm likely only good for fighting, sorry."

"Well you could keep the tonberries away from me when they show up," Gurdy said, more worried about the hunchbacked chefs hanging around with several sharp knives on their belts (and possibly more under their large white coats). But once the knight nodded, Gurdy went over to the shelves below the moogle. "Hey, fellow, do you know this library well?"

"Kupo?" The moogle looked down at them, then closed her book and flew down. "Kupo! Hey, always nice to have visitors. I do because I borrow books from here all the time, but I don't know all the books. What're you looking for, kupo?"

"A reference to how to become a paladin, whether it's a part of a book or the whole subject of it. Preferably the latter. Have you seen one in here?"

"Hmm..." the moogle thought, flipping her bonbon. "I know I've read stories of famous knights and even paladins, but I can't think of where they'd be. But I'm pretty sure there's one somewhere in here titled Path of the Paladin. Can't tell you where it is, though. The tonberry that takes care of this room doesn't care about how things are organized as long as there's no dust and everything's put away somewhere quickly."

"Well it's here," Gurdy said. But why was he here doing this? Leon had nothing but the things he carried, and he probably didn't have any gil. Helping him become a paladin would create a legend, yes, which would be a great story to tell. But, then Gurdy couldn't really profit off a story like that. He sometimes got tips for being really passionate and compelling in his stories, but it wasn't much to get by on. The journey had to be tough too, without anything to directly benefit him.

"That's a dizzying amount of books," Leon said, sounding very weary as he looked up. Gurdy glanced over to see him wobbling right before he slipped backwards with a heavy thump.

"Kupo!" the moogle called, dropping down to his side.

"Leon?" Gurdy knelt by him and moved the faceplate to check on him. "He's breathing heavily, but I don't know what's up."

"I'm not too sure about lilty health," the moogle said, worried.

Why should he care? Hurdy would care, but Gurdy wasn't Hurdy. He didn't have any responsibility towards Leon. And if leaving caused trouble, he could convince Hurdy that Leon was too dangerous to help. He didn't like lying to his brother, but if it kept him calm and happier in ignorance, it could be worth it.

He should just forget about it all… pretend it was a haze and he didn't know what to do… actually, that was like how he felt…

* * *

Everything was white, slowly darkening and taking form, taking color. Who was he? Hurdy, that was simple to answer. Where was he? Why was he waking up while kneeling on a hard floor? Those answers were nowhere to be found in his head. There were faint images lingering in mind, but what were they?

"Mmm," Hurdy rubbed his eyes, then looked in front of him. There was a lilty collapsed on the floor there, along with a moogle worriedly patting the lilty's chin. Who was this? The lilty seemed familiar, one of those faint images. "What happened?" he asked, his mind clearing up with concern. Information came out of hiding.

The moogle looked up at him. "I don't know, kupo. He said he was dizzy and just fell over. You came in with him, right?"

"Sorry, my mind is all foggy," Hurdy said, slipping his fingers under the neck guard to check the lilty's pulse. It was difficult with the snug armor. "I only know what's happening right now, it's all white."

"Kupo," the moogle said, sounding concerned. "You're a strange pair, but misfortunate it seems. I'd like to help, but he looks much too heavy for me to move."

"Same for me," Hurdy said, taking his fingers out and looking them over. There was grime there, old sweat. This heart rate and ragged breathing… a spell came to mind, which he used to get a greater amount of information on him. It was confusing at first, but then his mind sorted it out on its own. "He's extremely exhausted, may have been up and active for a week."

"What?" the moogle asked, shocked.

"From this grime, it might not be the first time he's done this," Hurdy added. "He certainly hasn't taken off his armor in a long time." Some tales and gossip came into mind, no sources but the information was there. "He's the Black Knight, right? He may have worn it for years without removing it. If we can get his armor off, I could carry him out of the way so he can sleep. He needs a lot of sleep, and a bath when he wakes up."

"Kupo, we can take care of it!" the moogle said. "My family and I live in the next room, so we can clean up his armor and have a bath ready when he wakes up. You guys can sleep in our guest room too, just in case the monsters show back up."

Hurdy smiled, thinking that moogles were wonderfully helpful beings. More people should be like them. But why did he think that? No, it didn't matter. They were helping someone now. "That's great, thank you. I'd like to be able to do more, but healing magic can't fix exhaustion."

"It's okay, kupo," the moogle said. "You… hmmm… I know! He's interested in becoming a paladin, to make up for all the scary tales told about him as the Black Knight. He came here looking for an old book called Path of the Paladin to figure out how it's done even though he says he's no good at study. While I know the book is here somewhere, I don't know where. You can look for it and then study it for him."

"That should be something I'm good at," Hurdy said, looking around them. They were in a room sized for someone thrice his size, with massive wall shelves packed full of books. That was a lot to search through. But knowing the title of the book, he could scan the spines fairly quickly.

More information popped up, looking down at the Black Knight's armor. This kind of style wasn't something one could take on and off alone. Searching near the waist, he found a black tool that he used to unlatch the armor and remove it. There was leather armor under the metal, and a thin cloth coat under that, both of which needed to be replaced soon. These weren't meant for living in, especially not for years on end.

Opening up his bag, Hurdy found a nightshirt that was big on a lilty but would do for now. He and the moogle, named Mogmei, undressed the Black Knight, got him in the nightshirt, then pulled him aside to rest on a bedroll that Hurdy had. Mogmei left to fetch one of her children to keep an eye on the Black Knight while Hurdy began searching the shelves. There were ladders and ramps around the room to help with searching the shelves. After some time, another of Mogmei's children came by to offer him a drink of lemonade.

There was a time or two that he wondered why he was doing this. The answer to that was clear: he was just trying to help someone out. As someone said, helping others was reason enough to do things. He just had to find the book here.

* * *

"Kupo!" A flutter of wings rushed off.

"Kupo?" he muttered, trying to shake off the haze of dreams. His body felt strangely light. Where was he?

Moschet Manor. He'd come here with a clavat named Gurdy to search for the methods of becoming a paladin. According to the Tida crystal, Raem and something called a meteor parasite were dead, leading to the end of miasma.

Leon came awake instantly, startled into sitting up. He regretted it immediately as his head spun as though his body wasn't prepared to move. Thankfully, someone quickly had a hand behind his shoulders. "Careful now," a clavat said. He had symmetrically curled hair and the outfit of a preacher. "Though it is nice to see you awake."

"Gurdy?" Leon asked, feeling strange. His memories should be gone since he'd fallen asleep.

He shook his head, strangely. "Sorry, that's my brother. I'm Hurdy. And you're Leon?"

"Yes," he said, then grabbed Hurdy's arm and grinned in a sort of delirium. "I remember yesterday! I do, not all too well but I do remember why I'm here. And you were cursed by Raem too, but he's dead now! We're not going to forget anymore!"

Hurdy's eyes brightened at that news. "Really? I thought I was just being unusually lucid the past few days. That's wonderful news."

"Yes," Leon said, then realized what he'd said. "Wait, a few days?"

Nodding, he said, "You've been asleep for three days straight. But you really needed it; you were exhausted almost to the point where it could have killed you."

"I couldn't sleep because the light would always get me," he said. But he didn't need to worry about that any more. There was something to worry about in that he was only wearing an overly large shirt. "But what happened to my gear? I only had what I was carrying."

"We had to get rid of the cloth and leather armor since it was worn out," Hurdy said. "The metal armor is at Mogmei's place in the other room, all cleaned up for you. Her husband Mogmatt went to Alfitaria to pick up replacements and clothes for you. And they should have a bath ready for you soon."

This all felt strange; he was expecting a catch somewhere. "Really? They're quite generous, but I don't have anything to give them."

"Don't worry, I had some money to help cover their efforts. Moogles are wonderful creatures, great examples for us to follow." Then he smiled as he brought out a book with a dark brown cover. "And look, we've found Path of the Paladin! The early chapters are about the kind of dedication and spirit a paladin needs to maintain their status. You'll want to read those at least."

"Kupo!" A small moogle flew up to them. "Kupo, we've got a bath ready if you want it, and Mom's working on a meal for everybody too."

"That sounds good," Leon said.

There should be monsters in the courtyard, making him self-conscious for going around unarmed in an over-sized nightshirt. Thankfully, they didn't see any monsters around. The moogles lived in a hole in the floor, beneath a giant table with a draping white cloth. In a side room, Mogmei had set up a bath in a large wooden bathtub, at least to the moogles and himself as a lilty.

"Your new clothes are over there," she said, pointing out a bag on the table. "And be sure to put any towels you use in the smaller bin there, not the larger one."

It was her house rules. "Sure," Leon said. "Thank you for your help with everything, it means a lot to me."

"We're happy to help, kupo!" Mogmei said, bouncing her pompom. "Oh, but there's something I want to tell you, since I heard you both have memory problems. It's about your friends Gurdy and Hurdy."

"They're the only people I remember," he said. Which was as good as friends for now.

Mogmei nodded. "I understand that, but they're not actually brothers. They're the same person."

"Are they? Hurdy didn't seem to remember me."

"Well that's how it happens in books, right?" Mogmei asked. "He has a split personality, and Hurdy and Gurdy don't share the same memories. I realized it when you collapsed. While he said he was Gurdy, he went dazed for a little bit and didn't know what was going on. He told me he was Hurdy, so I knew something was up. I don't know why he changes personalities or when, unless you're right there to see it. I just thought you should know, if you mean to travel with him."

He thought about it while he was washing up. Did he want to travel with Gurdy and Hurdy? They were simply the first person he could remember now, although he had a feeling they had some other connection than Raem. Or did he want to find his family? He wouldn't know them anymore, but they'd know him. It'd be a way to find himself… his old self, at least. Would they find him to be a different person now?

Or did he want to attempt to become a paladin?

A flicker of light distracted him, making Leon tense. Then he realized it was simply a reflection of light across the bathwater, not the light of Raem. Raem was supposed to be dead. And yet, he couldn't shake the caution of his battle against the memory eater. How could he expect to be a paladin like this? Paladins protected others. This paranoia was going to actively work against that.

Did the world even need a paladin now? The miasma was gone and the crystal seemed certain that it was gone for good. It was hard to say what would happen to the monsters. Although, old tales mentioned monsters being around before the miasma. The monsters would still be around. And the Tida crystal wanted to be moved. Did the other crystals want to be moved too? It was for the healing of the world; that might be something that a paladin could help with. It would also be a goal for himself when he had nothing.

What little he remembered included Raem taunting him and Gurdy about being hollow people without memories. That was true, as they were practically nothing except what happened since they met up on the hill to Tida. But being practically nothing wasn't being nothing. And like Gurdy had said, they could take things one day at a time, building themselves back up to being somebody.

Gurdy and Hurdy… being with someone who might be someone completely different in a brief time could be a problem. He didn't know them all that well, but he noticed they had some differences already. Gurdy was more worldly and pessimistic; Hurdy was excitable and kind. Then again, they also had some of the problems he had. Other people would get frustrated or annoyed with them without realizing why they were like they were.

When he thought about it, Leon realized that he was feeling more confidant because he had someone else who'd suffered like he had. It might be more valuable to someone like Hurdy and Gurdy. Gurdy at least was great with magic. Hurdy seemed to be a scholar of some kind, which was already being useful. As his personality seemed interested in this quest, it might be good to take him along. The company would help them both recover.

Perhaps even if he didn't succeed in this quest, they'd be rewarded for trying in ways most people wouldn't understand.

Having decided what he wanted to do, Leon finished washing up. He found the leather armor they'd got him and put it on with some of the clothes. It didn't feel right to not have any armor. After talking with the moogle family some, he went to investigate the other rooms of Moschet Manor. It'd be good to take care of their security in gratitude of their help.

But on clearing rooms, he found no monsters in Moschet Manor. The myrrh tree was already greatly wilted. A few days passed and the manor remained quiet.


	3. Travel

**Chapter 3: Travel**

"Are you sure we can keep this book?" Hurdy asked, not wanting to steal something as valuable as an old book.

"Sure thing, kupo," Mogmei said. "Jack and Maggie haven't come back yet, so they can't complain. I never saw either of them reading, so it may as well be in the hands of people who can use it."

"Thank you," Hurdy said, giving her a grateful bow. "Leon will need to study it too."

"Yes, but how is this quest going to go?" Leon asked. He still looked pale for a lilty, but he also looked a lot better than he had from when Hurdy had first seen him.

He held out the shell crystal pendant he had. "These crystal shards we have will help. I noticed that yours is imbued with the holy element; mine is imbued with the water element. I'm guessing that you don't remember how your crystal has holy."

Leon shook his head. "It was just with me."

"Same with me," Hurdy said, clipping the pendant back on his bag. "The Great Crystal used to be at Mount Vellenge far to the west. It's no longer there and the book details a few different ways, but I feel like this one involving Mount Vellenge might be the best. After all, it seems that the Great Crystal is trying to reorganize itself, so we might be able to do something to help it going this way."

"Makes sense," Leon said. "What do we do?"

"You need to claim the holy element in Lynari Desert, then bring it and someone you find worthy of protecting to the Great Crystal in Mount Vellenge," he said. "Since you don't remember where your crystal got the holy element, it'll be better if you get it on mine and use that for the quest. The Great Crystal is supposed to give you a trial to prove your worth, but if the Tida crystal agrees, you should be able to bring it there and access the trial with it. I know how to get to that holy element, so all you'd need is someone to come along to prove that you can protect someone through these dangerous territories."

"Aren't you coming along?" he asked. "Since it is your pendant and you seem interested in this."

"I would like to, but I don't know if someone like me would work for this," Hurdy said. He'd read some disturbing things in his journals, plus there was a little feeling in him that he was definitely not worthy of such a grand quest, not even as someone to be protected. He'd make it fail somehow, like before.

"You're a magic user and a preacher, and you know how to access the holy element," Leon said. "You need some protection while you're casting and I don't know how to use magic if that's needed for holy."

"It is needed," Hurdy said, recalling the poem. "Lightning, Gravity, and Blizzard... and Gravity is a mixed element spell."

"Then I need you along and you'd have a more difficult time trying to do something like this yourself," he said. "It'll work out."

"We could keep an ear out in towns to others who might be interested," Hurdy said. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about messing things up. "All right." He opened up his bag and brought out the Tida crystal. "What do you say? Would you help Leon take the trial at Mount Vellenge? We can take you to Tipa afterward."

 _No, I must go to Tipa as soon as I can. But your small crystals are a part of us. Take them with the holy element on both and we will present the trial._

"Tipa has a port you can use to get to Lynari Desert," Mogmei said. "It won't be far out of your way then."

"That's good," Leon said. "Then we may as well head out since it's early in the day."

"All right," Hurdy said, putting the crystal away again. "Did you want to stop in Alfitaria before we left this region?"

Oddly enough, Leon shook his head. "Not at this time. I sent my family a letter explaining what I mean to do. I hope they understand, but they'll know they can contact me through the mail moogles at least."

With that settled, they said goodbye to Mogmei and her family, then set out from Moschet Manor. There were clouds in the sky that darkened as they walked along the road towards Alfitaria. Hurdy started wondering if they should find a way to get a papaopamus and a caravan wagon. But where to get them? The miasma kept most people from traveling, so crystal caravans and traders were the only ones who'd have such things.

They did spot a wagon on the road, right in front of the gate to Alfitaria. There was an armored lilty and a short clavat woman arguing there. "It's just over to Shella, so it won't take long," the woman said.

"Pardon me for being skeptical," the lilty said, "but you said you wanted to go a short trip last time and you were away for a couple of years!"

"But this is important," the woman pleaded.

"Can't you ask someone else? Maybe Sol Racht when he gets back."

"He said he was going to retire after this year."

"Yes, but as you said, it is a short ways to Shella and he shouldn't have much trouble going there."

"Hurdy," Leon said quietly, "your bag is sparkling."

"Hmm?" He'd been listening in to the argument too much to notice, but Leon was right. A faint magical light was coming from inside. On pulling the source out, he found that it was the Tida crystal. It was lighter than it had been before, he realized. Not shining but like someone had started cleaning it. "Is something up?"

 _The Alfitaria crystal is with them. It needs to be moved too._

"To Shella, hmm?" Hurdy glanced back at the arguing pair. "I think, that town isn't on our way but it shouldn't be far from here. But it would be in service of the Great Crystal, which would be a good thing to do."

"I can't say why, but it worries me a bit about this crystal being moved," Leon said. "Like the people there wouldn't be happy."

 _It's already been decided that Shella is one place to be, not Alfitaria. Keeping the pieces apart will leave imbalance that will make healing more difficult than it should be._

"The Great Crystal is the source of all life, and so would be the most knowledgeable about what would be best for the world," Hurdy said.

"Then it's best we listen to it," Leon said, then called over to the pair, "Hello, what's the trouble?"

"It's nothing," the lilty started saying, but then stopped short on seeing them. "Ah, you! You're Sir Leon Esla, aren't you? The Black Knight?"

"As far as I can remember, yes," Leon said, although he was currently wearing the leather armor since they didn't expect to run into much dangerous on the road. "Although I don't remember much."

"Well it's been years since I've seen you," the lilty said. "I'm Knocfelna, and we both served as knights together at one time. I did hear that you might have lost your memory, but it's all been rumors. The latest one is that you mean to become a paladin!"

"A paladin, really?" the young woman asked, intrigued.

"Yes, although I'm not sure how that reached the city so soon," Leon said.

"It may have been the moogles," Hurdy said.

Knocfelna nodded. "Yes, some young moogles came out to buy some things the other day and mentioned that. I wish you the best in that, sir, and I'm sure all the other knights agree too."

"Thank you," Leon said, bowing is head. "But I believe one of you would have a smaller form of the crystal of Alfitaria, correct?"

"Oh yes, I was just thinking of that," the woman said, pulling out a crystal like they had. However, this one was clear and shining. "I'm the princess of Alfitaria, and ever since the miasma vanished, the crystal has been asking me and a few others to find someone to take it to Shella. I would like to go myself, but everyone raises such a fuss when I try to leave the castle."

"That's because you're always sneaking off on us," Knocfelna said.

"And that's because you won't let me leave no matter what," the princess said, as exasperated at that as he was. "But that's another point. How did you know we had the crystal?"

"We have one too, the one that was in Tida up on the hill," Hurdy said, showing her the crystal they had. "It wants to go to Tipa, so we were going to take it there since we're traveling for some distance already."

 _They're in service to us already. I should go with them._

"Well that settles that," Knocfelna said. "Would you be willing to take our town's crystal to where it wants to go in Shella?"

"Yes, but are the people of the town and castle okay with that?" Leon asked.

"Everyone was surprised when the crystal started talking, and when it asked for this," the princess said. "A number of them tried to convince it otherwise already. However, it's unwavering in its decision and people are starting to realize what I did initially, that the crystal's wisdom is not to be ignored. I got father to agree; he's sent out a request for someone to transport it. But it won't let just anyone take hold of it, so when I could, I thought I should just take it over myself."

"Shella's not in the direction we were going, but it's not too long of a detour from here," Hurdy said. "We'll take it there."

"Thank you, on behalf of our nation," the princess said, giving them a formal bow before handing over the Alfitaria crystal. "Do you have a transport or are you just walking?"

"We're just walking," Hurdy said.

Leon nodded. "We have only what we can carry right now, so we don't have much we could trade for one either."

"You're acting in service to the crystals, so how about you take this wagon and papaopamus?" the princess said. "I have a stock of supplies in the wagon."

"Thank you for your generosity, it's sure to help with how the weather is looking," Hurdy said, feeling cheered that people recognized the importance of this.

"It's no trouble to us," Knocfelna said, saluting them. "And I'd be grateful if you took them so we're more certain that she doesn't have the means to escape quickly."

"Fine, I'll settle down now that the issue of the crystal is taken care of," the princess said, although she sounded reluctant to do so. "Good luck to you both; may the blessing of the crystals shine bright for you."

Ten minutes later, they were riding in a rain shower that was threatening to turn heavy at a moment's notice. The papaopamus seemed happy with it, if the way its head was lifted and its short tail swaying were any indication. Leon took the bridle and had no trouble guiding the papaopamus along the road to the west. Meanwhile, Hurdy had been taking stock of what was in the wagon. It made him think that the knight might have good reason to worry about the princess taking off on her own with the excuse of 'a short trip to Shella'.

"There's enough supplies in here to last one person and the papaopamus for a month," Hurdy said as he climbed onto the front bench with Leon.

"I feel like we can reach Shella well before the end of the day," Leon said. "Seems like we stopped a troublesome princess."

"That kind of princess can make for a good story," he said, smiling at the thought. He was sure he knew many, some of which were great for sermons to guide people.

"You and your brother like stories a lot," he said.

He nodded. "Telling them is one of the things we're both good at. Although, we should have thought to ask her if she doesn't mind accompanying you up Mount Vellenge as proof of your dedication."

"I was just wondering if you knew any stories about paladins," he said. "I'll be reading that book when I get time, but some stories could help."

"Oh, sure," Hurdy said, thinking it over. Several immediately popped into mind. Thinking about how Leon had been known as the Black Knight singled one of the longer ones out. "We've got a lot of traveling to do, so I could tell you a long story."

"Go ahead," Leon said, watching the road ahead.

The papaopamus knew where it was going as long as it had a road, so Hurdy was sure Leon would be able to listen in spite of driving the wagon. "All right! So this may be a legend, or it may be something that someone made up, but it's got airships, fiends, and all kinds of great things. This is the story about a man named Cecil, who became a dark knight on the request of his liege, the King of Baron. Dark knights harness a dangerous power of battle that can turn them into vicious monsters if they're not careful with it. However, Cecil was an honorable man who accepted that power out of loyalty. His struggle to not be corrupted by the dark knight's magic eventually led him to casting aside that magic in favor of the responsibilities of a paladin. This is how it happened, starting with his king ordering him to invade the secluded city of Mysidia..."

The rain increased, turned the air into a watery haze. But they had a canopy to protect them and their papaopamus seemed to like the rain. With a story to tell, the ride seemed peaceful and bright. That helped as they approached a part of the road that darkened more than the rain could account for. Spindly dead trees appeared along the sides of the road.

At a point where he could pause and take a drink, Hurdy looked out to the land around them. It was a phantom landscape; if he looked at it too long, it might vanish. A chill ran up his spine at the thought of that. "This is a spooky place, as bad as Tida."

"This should be where the miasma stream flowed," Leon said, already on guard while he kept a tight grip on the bridle. He narrowed his eyes at something, then looked surprised. "Are those flowers out there?"

Hurdy looked in the direction Leon was for a moment. Between the rain, the dimness, and the phantom landscape, it was difficult to see. But there were colorful plants on the ground, trying to be seen in spite of the conditions. "I think they are," he said, then looked off to the other side. There were more he could see where he was closer. "They seem to be everywhere but the road… ah, I'll be back."

As the papaopamus wasn't a fast steed, Hurdy could easily hop off the bench onto the road. He didn't trust the phantom land, but just ahead of the papaopamus, he had spotted one of the flowers bobbing its head over the road. Vivid blue petals like soft blades of grass made a skirt around the stem while long fronds of a powdery blue tried to keep a spherical shape above the petal skirt. Looking past it, he could see dozens more also braving the rain. Maybe hundreds. Hurdy plucked the blue one, then climbed back into the wagon.

"I don't recognize this flower, but they are all over this place," he said, showing it to Leon.

"It's certainly a strange one," Leon said. "But a field full of those might be nice in sunny weather, for those who like that kind of thing."

Looking deep into the fronds, some unsettling thoughts occurred to him. "The miasma streams carried both Raem's curse and the memories drained from nearly every creature that can remember. The curse died along with Raem and the miasma he wrought. But then, what of the memories within the streams?"

"Memories?" Leon asked, seeming troubled too.

Hurdy waved the flower gently, letting the rain drip off it. "What became of those memories, lost and not yet consumed? Perhaps they settled down and became flowers."

"Could you get them back if you found the right flowers?" he asked. That made him more interested in the flowers.

His throat tensed up so tight that he felt like he might choke on this feeling of dread and guilt. "Not ours… ours were consumed… ours are gone..."

* * *

It was a nice thought, that lost memories were becoming flowers where the corrupt miasma once flowed. Not so nice was the idea that he could never know the feelings and reasons behind all these facts he knew about himself and the world. "Are we never going to escape being empty?" Leon said before he thought about it much. It was like some sickness in his soul.

"I'm sorry," Hurdy said, cringing. But he held onto the flower tight, so tight that its fronds quivered. "It's… my fault… we failed. Why… Why?!" He slammed his free hand into the bench while Leon glanced around; he expected a lurking light to be right there with them. "How did I make such a mistake?"

Whether the light was there or not, Leon knew he had to help. He tucked the bridle between his knees to get a firm grip on Hurdy's arm. "Calm down."

But it didn't seem like he was listening. "I want to believe in what I see but I think I'm just spinning more lies but I want them to be true even if they're nothing to everyone else because they're everything to me."

"Hurdy," he said firmly, but drew a blank on what to suggest. What wa s wrong with him? It seemed like something more than the missing memories. Did Hurdy even know?

"Silly Hurdy Gurdy ain't nothin' but a fool," he said in a sing-song voice that made Leon think of kids teasing each other. His posture slumped to the side. If Leon hadn't kept a hold on his am, Hurdy might have fell off the wagon this time. He was silent now, leaving just the rain and the steady mumble of the wagon.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" Leon said, then shook his head. This might not be something he could help much with. "But it's like you said, we'll take things one day at a time. It's what we can do right now."

"Hmm?" He shook himself, then looked ahead at the papaopamus walking happily in the rain. "Must've dozed off," he said, then stared. "Huh? When did we pick up a wagon and papaopamus?"

This had to be Gurdy. "Hurdy and I got it outside of Alfitaria," Leon explained.

"Ah… wait!" Gurdy looked over at him, eagerness in his eyes. "You saw him? Where is he?" He glanced back into the wagon.

"He's not here right now," he answered, taking the reins back in hand. How did you explain this kind of thing to the person in question?

"Oh, that's too bad," Gurdy said, seeming genuinely disappointed. "Well how was he? Heh, I'm the younger brother but I'm always worried about how he's doing. He'd give away his last gil in charity even if he was hungry."

"He seemed fine, up until that flower made him panic," Leon said. How much of the truth could they take?

Hearing that, he looked at the blue flower in his hands as if he was just noticing it. "Huh… memories became flowers?"

They might know the same things. But like Leon felt, they wouldn't know the memories behind that knowledge with the added complication of not remembering what each other experienced. That was horrifying; Leon felt lost enough without a single past. "That's what he thought."

"It does sound like the kind of idea he'd come up with. I guess it's nice, but," Gurdy tossed the flower to the roadside, "I shouldn't keep it around if it's going to trouble him. So where are we going? This is a weird landscape."

"This used to be the miasma stream," Leon said. That felt right: keep his patience and let them know what they woke up to if they changed abruptly like this. "We're going to Shella."

"That should be a nice place," he said. "Did you decide not to do the paladin quest? Because I thought that would start off in Lynari Desert."

He shook his head. "I will attempt it, and Hurdy wanted to help me. But we've also been asked to help sort out the crystals. The Tida one goes to Tipa and the one from Alfitaria is going to Shella."

"Hmm, well helping the crystals should help your bid to become a paladin," Gurdy said.

"He was telling me an old legend about a paladin named Cecil," Leon said. "Do you know that story?"

"Of course I do," Gurdy said, acting indignant that he was doubted knowing a story. "How far did he get?"

"The King of Baron had asked him and Kain to take a ring to the village of Mist," he said. "They were just leaving their home kingdom."

"That's not far in," he said, thinking a moment before picking up the story right where Hurdy had left off. After a few minutes, there didn't seem to be any difference in how Gurdy was telling the story.

Shella was a secluded town, keeping near Veo Lu Sluice as it was the town's duty to keep the sluice operating smoothly. It was a town of yukes that liked their privacy, Leon knew. Still, they kept a stable for caravanners at the edge of town. Leon had no money, so Gurdy had to pay for lodging their papaopamus. The sun was descending through the sky now. Unless they wanted to camp out, they'd probably arrive near Alfitaria when it got dark. Leon didn't want to go back until he had gone back to Mount Vellenge.

Back to Vellenge... one of his missing memories, but the name made him feel like he had to be alert.

They encountered a gatekeeper a short distance from the stable. "If you want to enter town, you'll need a Mark of Shella," the old yuke said.

"Oh dear, well does this count?" Gurdy asked, showing the shell pendant.

The yuke looked at it quietly, then said, "No."

Gurdy sighed. "Do you have to be so picky? It's a shell."

"Not the right shell," the gatekeeper said.

Fortunately, another yuke spotted them and called across the river. "Hey, I know them! Let them through!"

Looking back across, the gatekeeper called, "Amidatty, you can't just speak for anyone! Are you sure about these two?"

"I'm sure, so let them over," he called back.

He gave a small sigh, then nodded. "All right, if one of our residents will speak for you, I will raise the bridge." A magic circle appeared below the gatekeeper's feet as he focused on a spell that solidified a rainbow hanging low over the lively stream cutting off the town. "And welcome to Shella."

"Sorry about that old grump," Amidatty said after they crossed the bridge to meet with him. "But you know how it is with people who insist on tradition."

"Of course, they're such spoilsports," Gurdy said.

Amidatty nodded, then said, "It's good to see you again, Gurdy. Who's your friend?"

"This is Leon Esla, also known as the Back Knight," he said.

Leon nodded. "Without the miasma, I can travel without my full armor."

"Ah, I couldn't have recognized you without it," Amidatty said. "It is wonderful that the miasma is gone now. Did you two have something to do with that?"

Gurdy shook his head while Leon felt uneasy. "No, not us," Gurdy said. "We were in Tida when it vanished."

He tapped the long beak of his helm, then nodded. "Then, I would guess it would be that plucky lass from Tipa, Tsu Fai."

"That's what we heard from the crystals, but how did you guess?" Leon asked.

"I think I have a pretty good sense of people, though I may be wrong about that and am just lucky," Amidatty said. "Tsu Fai is one of those people who seemed meek and quiet, at least for a selkie. But she has sharp eyes, ears, and mind. She paid attention and saw right through things. When the miasma faded, I had a hunch that Hurdy or Tsu Fai was a likely suspect in that matter."

"I wrote down at a few points that she was sharp and yet kind," Gurdy said. "Maybe I'd find her familiar like I find you familiar. But you know me, my mind is like a sieve."

"Not any longer with the miasma gone," Leon said. "Same with me, although we can't get back what was lost."

"That's unfortunate," Amidatty said, sounding sincerely sorry for them.

"We're no longer lost, so we can start over again," he said. He didn't want this Amidatty to worry over them, or himself to worry over their condition. "We came here about the crystals, so thank you for letting us in."

"The crystals?" Amidatty asked, now curious. "What about them?"

"We're not sure, but we should go to your town's crystal and figure that out," Gurdy said.

"Ah, well that's easy enough to find," the yuke said, pointing down the stone path. He walked with them over to where Shella's crystal stood.

As the town's guardian, the crystal was the centerpiece of Shella. It sat on the ground below the town's walkways and stretched up higher than any of the buildings around it. People milled about the circular walkway there, attending to their usual business or discussing matters with each other. For the most part, it was yukes with a few other visitors of other tribes. A few of the yukes gave Amidatty a respectful bow or tilt of the head as they went by. Leon wondered how he was important to this town.

"It's actually spoken a few times since the miasma left," Amidatty said as they stopped at an alter in front of the crystal. This would be where the myrrh purification ceremony would be held. "Only to a few folks, as to be expected. But unexpected in that it has been several times in this week."

"What is it saying?" Leon asked as Gurdy dug in his bag for the Alfitaria crystal.

"It's waiting on something, that's all," the yuke replied.

"Ah, the Tida crystal is looking a lot better," Gurdy said as he pulled out both the crystals they had. And as he said, they were both shining now. The main way Leon could tell the difference was that the Tida crystal was half the clarity of the other.

"What are you doing with them?" Amidatty asked.

"We don't know," Gurdy said. "They just told us where they want to be."

 _We need the other._

"Huh?" Gurdy looked right to the Shella crystal. The flickers of light caused Leon to put his hand on the handle of his sword. Thankfully, it was just the crystal.

It was doing something strange, flickering enigmatic patterns rapidly. Leon glanced over at Gurdy and found him completely entranced by that. Quietly, Amidatty went over to Gurdy's other side and took the clavat's shoulder right before he fainted. "Don't worry, I've seen this before," Amidatty said quietly.

"Really?" Leon asked.

He nodded as Gurdy almost immediately revived. "What happened?" he asked, tensing and grabbing Amidatty's arm.

"You were sleep-walking again," Amidatty said like it was completely normal. "It's something of a tradition with you."

"Don't make fun of tradition," Gurdy said like he was half-asleep, getting back to his feet. Or, was that Hurdy?

"We have to have fun somehow, Hurdy," Amidatty said, keeping a hand on him to make sure he was steady. "What were you doing with the crystals?"

"They're reorganizing themselves," Hurdy said, looking into Shella's crystal. It had slowed down with its patterns. "Hmm? Oh, yes, I know that. I can do that."

"What are you going to do?" Leon asked. He couldn't hear the crystal this time.

"Sorry, it'd be better if I simply did it and you saw for yourself," Hurdy said, handing him Tida's crystal. Leon took it, leaving Hurdy to take the Alfitaria crystal in both hands. Stepping up to the altar, Hurdy bowed his head and prayed aloud. "Blessed Crystal, source of all Life, I come in service of you. The one who harmed you is gone. The one who brought the sickening miasma is gone. Now is the time for healing."

As he prayed, the people around them turned to pay attention. Part of that was because Shella's crystal and Alfitaria's crystal began sparkling white. Hurdy shifted his hands, letting the crystal he held float up into the air. As a wind picked up in circling around them, sparks flew between the two crystals and turned them both yellow. They both raised into the air, the Alfitaria crystal growing back to its former size. By now, the whole town must have noticed.

Hurdy reached his hands over his head, towards the two crystals. "From the spark of creativity to the lightning bolts of insight; from the gentle breeze to the storm's gale. You will now be reborn as a source of one of the great elements. You are now the Crystal of Air. May you shine for all time, bringing the blessings of Air into the world."

The two crystals were one now, shining yellow like thunder magic. The Crystal of Air settled into place, not touching the ground but floating a few inches off the ringed platform. While Hurdy had been speaking, the wind kicked up considerably. It was calm now, stirring around in a quiet breeze. So this was the crystal's plan. Leon wondered if his fellow lilties might feel slighted because of this. Hopefully not.

"Hmm, so it's no longer our crystal, but the Crystal of Air," Amidatty said, looking over the reborn crystal in wonder. "What are we to do for it?"

After watching the crystal a little while longer, Hurdy said, "Learn from it if you can hear its voice. Protect it from those who would abuse its powers. The crystals need to tend to the world and help it recover from the curse of miasma. They should be left to do that."

"Very well, I'll let the others of Shella know this," Amidatty said. "But say, it has been a while since I've seen either of you, even though you'll not remember it. Would you like to stay with me for the night? I'd love a chance to talk with you again."

"I don't think we'd make it today to the next likely stop in Marr's Pass, to check on the crystal there," Leon said.

"Right, night would fall even on these summer days before you hit Marr's Pass," Amidatty said.

"Sure," Hurdy said, looking down and sounded tired now. "That actually took a lot out of me. But, hmm..." He turned around, looked up again, then snapped his fingers with a yellow spark. A green sphere appeared overhead, soon splitting apart into many different blades. "Aero… and some other spells. I can try them later."


	4. Decide

**Chapter 4: Decide**

After giving other yukes information about the Crystal of Air to pass along, Amidatty brought them over to his home. There were a lot of miscellany scattered around; much of it seemed like junk to Leon. There was a packed bookshelf, with stacks of books were scattered elsewhere. On a large table, there was currently a collection of shells spread out for some project. Amidatty moved some metal device out of a chair before inviting them to sit at the table while he placed the shells away in various bins.

"I've just been doing a study into the various magical properties of shells, since the shell varieties and locations can make differences in said properties," Amidatty explained. "Are you two doing anything besides serving the crystals?"

"Yes, Leon is going to take the trial of the paladin," Hurdy said, leading them to explaining what their plan was. Amidatty was interested in it and asked several questions.

They had questions for him too. "What can you tell us about ourselves?" Leon asked when a good chance seemed to come. "We have to start anew, but having been tormented who knows how long without knowing anything, we're trying to figure out something of ourselves."

Amidatty put his gloved hand on the long beak of his helm. "That would be something to learn about. Unfortunately, I've been serving in Shella's caravan a long time. That tends to make one forgetful, you see."

"The chalices and the myrrh both sap away memories," Hurdy said, his gaze drifting off like he was thinking now.

On seeing that, Amidatty patted Hurdy's arm and made him pay attention again. "But that's done now. Now, about you both, I remember the Black Knight as stories of seemingly different people. And I do remember that our caravan once came across the Black Knight, to our misfortune. Two of our fellows were badly injured from the encounter and had to stay in the wagon when we went to grab the third drop of myrrh for the year. We even altered where we meant to go with fewer members able to fight."

Hearing that made Leon feel a knot in his stomach. He remembered a haze from when he'd last been chasing the light, with faint shadows like other people might be there but not recognized. "Did I kill anyone?" he asked, lowering his eyes. "It's fine if you're honest; I'd rather know."

Amidatty looked over him a moment, then nodded. "Yes, some people died as a result of coming across you at a bad time."

"I was chasing an image of one of the memory eaters, a light that constantly eluded me," Leon said, looking back over at him. "I fought until I collapsed of exhaustion, then it took what few memories I had so I was hollow again when I woke up. I didn't know my name until Gurdy told me who I was."

"That does match what I recall of that incident," Amidatty said. "It's fine, Leon, I understood even then that there was little you could do about your condition. You didn't notice any of us and were fighting something that we could not see. Actually, the ones who got injured were trying to stop you because you were acting so delirious. We thought that perhaps if you could be stopped, something might be done so you weren't so reckless. But I suppose it was reckless for us to try approaching a lilty knight in heavy armor that still brandished his sword like it was a mere stick."

"You still tried to help, which is admirable," he said.

Amidatty shrugged at that. "Most people say I'm odd for being that way. But for the other story of the Black Knight, that goes back years to when I was a novice caravanner. Back then, the Black Knight was known as the leader of the Alfitaria caravan. He was spoken of all across the mainland as a living legend, a knight who was a master swordsman that easily defeated even the myrrh tree guardians. It was unusual enough for a lilty to use a sword in battle; most use spears to make up for their short height."

"Spears are the practical choice, but you really test your bravery with wielding a sword," Leon said, finding the words familiar.

"It's funny then that clavats are the ones who use swords even though they're usually the most gentle and peaceful race," Amidatty said. "Now if I ran across the Black Knight in those days, I wouldn't be sure of it; I don't remember those days well. But when I think of the difference when another brings it up, I recall thinking that for all his skill, he didn't think much of his accomplishments. He said that the whole being a living legend thing was an exaggeration. But maybe you did want to live up to that since you went off with Hurdy."

Worried about him, Leon glanced over at Hurdy. But he seemed to be paying attention now. "But if others thought of him in that way, there must have been something great he was doing."

Amidatty nodded. "True, and you acted the same way when people addressed you as a priest. You'd say that you weren't old enough and still had more to study. But I remember more clearly because you lived here for a few years: you acted very much like a priest, always a calm light encouraging others. You studied and communed with the crystal here daily. Sometimes you approached others with a message from the crystal, and you'd always turn out to be right then."

"That would be the crystal being right since I was just a messenger," Hurdy said.

"But a priest is a messenger for beings like the Great Crystal," Leon said.

"Perhaps, but..." he was looking away again, gripping the sides of his chair,

"I did travel with you and your brother Gurdy fairly often in the last few years," Amidatty said, making Leon wonder if his mind was wandering. Then he noticed Hurdy looking at the yuke again. Maybe not a wandering mind on Amidatty's part, but keeping Hurdy from getting upset and leaving them with Gurdy instead. "Gurdy made a number of the other caravans angry with him, but I always enjoyed speaking with you both."

As evening fell, Hurdy wanted to get some extra rest and someone called Amidatty off to look at something. Leon took the Path of the Paladin book and attempted to read through it. Hurdy had mentioned that he should at least study the early chapters on what was expected of one. Barely a page into the book, though, Leon wondered if studying this would be more challenging than taking the trial itself. The words and the way they were written made his brain feel like mush another page on. He put the book back in Hurdy's bag and looked around the house for something else he could do. Maybe go outside and train since he could focus his mind now.

He found a balcony on the upper level of Amidatty's house and decided to step out there. The sun was down now, leading to most of the sky being dark. In view to the west, there was a large forest running up into the mountains. Some of the structures that diverted the mountain waters to Veo lu Sluice could be seen from here. The balcony itself had some boxes stacked around a large barrel. Because of that, Leon could get up on the barrel to sit and think.

Before long, Amidatty came onto the balcony. "Ah, here you are," the yuke said. "Nice view up here, isn't there? It's one of the reasons I wanted to own this house."

"It is nice," Leon said. "What were you called out for?"

Amidatty chuckled. "Oh that? The bridge that leads into town is usually dismissed at the end of the day, for our safety and seclusion. It couldn't be dismissed tonight. The guardsman called several of us to try. When I heard that was the issue, I went back to the crystal and asked it about the bridge. And it replied that it did not want access to itself restricted, so it made the bridge permanent."

"So people wouldn't need the mark now to get the bridge raised," Leon said.

"I think it's a good thing," he said, leaning on the railing to look out at the forest. "The older folks who rarely leave town are aghast, but I think we could benefit from allowing more people into Shella. After all, that's how I initially met Hurdy."

"It does sound better," he said, looking up at the sky.

They were quiet a little while, with the sounds of the village and the forest in the background. Then Amidatty glanced over at him. "Actually, there is something about what you're doing that puzzles me. I've read the Path of the Paladin book before, out of curiosity, and something doesn't add up. It might be something I've forgotten, and yet I'm not sure."

"How could you read that out of curiosity?" Leon said, looking back at him. "I just tried to start it and could not get far because the sentences were so convoluted. There were words I had no idea what they meant as well. Why would they write it that way when the people who want the information are like me and not scholars?"

"It is an old book, written in a style even older," Amidatty explained. "Although I must agree, it's not that helpful to the most likely potential paladins. Hurdy might be able to help with that."

"He's been telling me a lengthy legend about a dark knight who became a paladin." Leon shrugged at that. "Gurdy picked up when he appeared, but he has different priorities with story-telling, like giving assessments on how hot some of the women must have been."

"That doesn't surprise me. But what did surprise me was the plan to take someone with you into the trial at Mount Vellenge." Amidatty tapped the beak of his helm. "I don't remember ever hearing of that requirement. It's not unusual for the paladin candidate to have traveling companions, but they're not necessary."

Having someone to protect might not be necessary? Leon bit his lip; had Hurdy lied to him? But he didn't seem the sort to lie, not like Gurdy. Then again, they were the same person, possibly in a situation they couldn't help. "He brought it up but didn't think he was worthwhile for a role like that," he said. "It'd be a strange thing to make up."

"That's true, but Hurdy and Gurdy don't think the way most people do," Amidatty said. "It may be a result of two halves of one person trying to work through things. That means you need to be cautious with them. One is a known liar and the other is an idealist; they could mislead you and might not recognize or care that they are. They are good with magic, but given that stress can make them shift personality, they're not reliable in battle either. Even if you were to take someone to protect, it won't be hard to find someone less troublesome to travel with. You don't even need to go to the desert since the crystal you own already has the holy element."

"Do you want me to just abandon him?" Leon asked, concerned about what Amidatty was doing. He treated them as friends, so why do this?

"Not necessarily," Amidatty said. "Believe me, I don't want to see them abandoned somewhere in the world yet again. They should be with someone willing to support them, hopefully so they can sort things out. But I think you should consider if you want to be that person. I'm sure you have your own searching to do for yourself. If you would rather work on yourself first, then I'd be fine with convincing Hurdy and Gurdy to stay here in Shella again. I do consider them friends and would like to help them as much as I can."

If Leon wanted to, Hurdy and Gurdy would be fine left here in Shella with Amidatty. It might be better to do so since Amidatty already knew how to handle them. "I see. I'll give it some thought."

"That's good." He tapped his helm, then nodded to some thought. "I suppose I'll leave you to that tonight. Meanwhile, I think I'll find my copy of that book and see if I can't distill its teachings into something modern and easier to handle for you. I'll send you a letter in the future about that."

"That would help, thank you," Leon said.

Amidatty waved to him as he turned to leave. "Although, you've calmed down greatly already. That's wonderful."

Leon nodded. "The one who had me on edge is dead; I'm starting to accept that. And getting some good sleep and meals has helped greatly."

"In that case, I feel like you should be fine going forward," he said. "Good night Leon."

"Good night Amidatty, and thanks for your advice."

Did he want to take Hurdy and Gurdy along? Their contributions were knowing how to activate the holy spring in Lynari Desert and understanding the old book. If Leon went to Vellenge on his own, he didn't need to visit the desert and Amidatty could simplify the book for him. They were good with magic, which could help in a battle. But then, he could surely find someone else good with battle magic with a more stable mind. There would be experienced caravanners in every town that could help him there.

What did they get out of this quest? That was something to consider too. A paladin wasn't a mage-friendly class. And, Mount Vellenge had to be the place where they lost their memories. They might not remember, but they might remember unconsciously. Who knew what that would do to them? They should both not want to go there; Leon felt that going there to prove his courage was worth it. But what about Hurdy? Gurdy might not care, but Hurdy would and would definitely freak out. That could explain why he was trying to find someone else to go with Leon.

However, he had said there were several suggestions for taking a paladin trial and said this plan was the best. Perhaps one of them wanted to go to Mount Vellenge. They might not qualify for becoming a paladin, but they might find some benefit to going. Unlike him, it could be difficult for them to get to Mount Vellenge on their own. They could find someone else to help them too. But Hurdy needed someone patient with him and tolerant of Gurdy, which could be harder to find than a good magic user. And there was some merit to the idea of bringing along someone who needed protection. Those two were someone who needed protection to traverse Vellenge. So it worked out for Leon to take them along.

The next morning, Leon got up early and headed back to the stable to check on the wagon and the papaopamus. Hurdy had said that there were supplies for one person and the papaopamus for a month. That did seem accurate, although Leon could think of a few other things that would be handy to keep around. Not necessary, though. Shella was enough out of the normal way that the shops here might not have what he was thinking of. Alfitaria should have them, but… so would Marr's Pass and Leon was fairly certain that the road to Tipa headed right through that town. It would be good to pick up some fresh food at Fum before heading out to Rebena and Vellenge too.

The sky cleared up as the sun rose higher; it probably wouldn't rain today. When he finished the preparations, he headed back to Amidatty's house to find Hurdy or Gurdy, whoever he'd woken up as today. He wasn't there, but Leon found him before long in front of the Crystal of Air. He was wearing his white clerical coat, so it was probably Hurdy awake now. As he seemed attentive to the crystal, Leon came up to his side and waited. Something felt familiar about this, like they'd met up like this before.

It still felt eerily familiar as Hurdy tilted his head, then noticed him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was listening to the crystal," he said, then looked at him a moment. "Huh, it's like we've done this before."

"That's what I was thinking," Leon said, then smiled up at him. "Don't worry about it; it's in the past. I was thinking of heading out soon, see if we couldn't reach Tipa by evening."

"We should be able to, I think," he said. "Are you sure you want me to come along with you, though? I'm afraid I might end up causing you trouble." He glanced aside, ashamed of himself. "I mean, we should be able to remember things now, but there's still gaps in the past week that I simply can't remember, and apparently I'm sleepwalking in the middle of the day. And I feel like, this is familiar, so it's going to all end in disaster again."

Leon patted Hurdy's arm, hoping to reassure him. "Well you have to go since I can't do whatever you did with this crystal yesterday. The town crystals want resettling, so you should do at least that."

"Oh, right, that's true," he said, looking up into the crystal. "The myrrh trees are wilting as they're no longer needed. We'll be the last crystal caravan."

"It's what the world needs to be done," Leon said. "Of the major towns we know of, we can head down to Marr's Pass and Tipa today to check on them, then sail down to Leuda, and back up to the Fields of Fum. You can decide what you want to do then."

"Sure, that sounds good," Hurdy said, smiling again. He didn't seem completely confidant, but it was a good start. "But what about you and your quest to Mount Vellenge?"

"That can happen after the crystals are taken care of," he said. "Although, I would like for you to accompany me there, if you want. It could be a bad time for both of us, but we'll have to confront these forgotten things to find a better future. But it is something you should decide you want to do for yourself as well."

He looked troubled at that, but it wasn't like yesterday yet. "I'll think about that," he said.

Amidatty saw them off a few minutes later, saying again that he'd read the book and send a letter about it later on. And when they reached the former miasma stream, the land was more solid. The rainbow of memory flowers was beautiful too.

* * *

The wagon had a steady rumble to it, matching the low footsteps of the papaopamus. Hurdy found himself telling a long story as the countryside passed on by. As the clouds from yesterday thinned out to reveal a blue sky unmarred by miasma, he was feeling great today. This central area of the land was mountainous, leading to a half-mile long rocky tunnel to continue the road. Torches kept it well-lit; signs noted that the guards of Marr's Pass kept this tunnel free of monsters.

Once through the tunnel, they were right in Marr's Pass. The smell of hard-working smoke filled the air from the various smithies, accompanied by clangs and chatter. Paths led off from the main road, with signs showing that they were for residents. Near a curve to the west, there was a group of children playing. They hurried off the road ahead of them; the lilty kids bounced around and talked excitedly, while the clavat kids waved and grinned. "I wonder if travelers will become more common, so wagons won't be as exciting for them."

Leon smiled at that. "I don't know, maybe not. They should have seen many from caravan season, but they're still excited over ours."

Once they made the turn, they could see a crowd in front of the crystal. It was a crowd of lilites and clavats, with a single selkie among them. There was another wagon on the road from the west. Because of that, Leon pulled the wagon over to the left in case the other wagon was headed north through the tunnel. As Hurdy hopped off the wagon seat, one of the crowd said, "We just don't understand why."

"Well it's the crystal's request," the selkie said. "I'm headed home, though, so obviously it doesn't want to go with me."

"Excuse me," Hurdy called, passing through the crowd. "We just arrived here, but I can guess that this crystal is asking to go somewhere else?"

The selkie woman smiled at him. "Oh, hello! Yes, that's all it's saying."

"But why would it want to leave us?" a clavat woman asked, putting her hand to her chin in worry. "We've taken good care of it all these years, as it's taken care of us."

"Right," a lilty woman said. "What happens if the miasma comes back? We'd all be ruined if it leaves us now."

The selkie shook her head. "It won't be back. I killed the source of it."

"Are you Tsu Fai then?" Hurdy asked. "I'm sorry, my mind's a bit foggy. I'm Hurdy and I've been traveling with Leon over there. We heard about that from the other crystals we've spoken to."

She nodded. "Yes, that's me. I've heard a lot about you from Gurdy; you're a priest who could understand the crystals while the miasma existed."

"I'm not a priest, but I do understand them," he said.

"Well could you convince the crystal not to leave?" the lilty woman asked.

Hurdy rubbed his head. "Well, I doubt it will work. They have a plan and are very firm about it." He went up the altar and looked up at the crystal. "You've heard them; what do you say?"

 _I must go to the Fields of Fum; tell them that's how we must heal the world._

He nodded and turned back to the crowd. "Sorry, it needs to go across the river. They're combining with each other to consolidate their powers so that they can heal the world from what the miasma did to everyone and everything. At the beginning of the time, they were one whole being, the Crystal of Life. It is the life and soul of the world. Thus, it knows best how to revive the world. It must leave this town and when it is at its new home, it will work with the Crystal of Air in Shella to keep the miasma from returning."

"How can we believe you?" a lilty man challenged him, putting a hand to a spear he carried. "We can't lose this crystal!"

"But it's the crystal's will," Hurdy said, partly afraid this would turn violent. But he was mostly angered that they wouldn't listen to the crystal.

Then Leon came up behind the lilty with the spear, grabbing his shoulder. He was wearing his large sword on his back, a clear sign that he wasn't someone to mess with. "I heard the crystal too," he said. "They have decided their course. This one has decided that it's safe to leave here. Are you going to argue with the guardian of your town?"

"You all could be scamming us," the man said, although he started to take his hand away from the spear.

Hurdy glanced back to the crystal. "You can prove yourself, can't you? You must leave with us to restore the world."

Agreeing with him, the crystal flashed with a golden light. The ground around them shook briefly. It wasn't enough to do much damage, but the animals bellowed and everyone noticed. With that done, the crystal shrank down and floated over to his side.

Taking it, he told the crowd, "See? This is their decision. They're not doing this to abandon you. Rather, their responsibility is to the whole world."

"But," the man said, shocked at the quake.

"It must be the crystal's will," the clavat woman talking with them said. She bowed her head. "We're sorry for misunderstanding. It was too strange to think of the crystal leaving us."

The crowd seemed apologetic as they scattered. "Are you the Black Knight?" Tsu Fai asked. "Your weapon seems familiar."

Leon bowed to her. "Yes, and thank you for defeating Raem. We weren't able to reclaim our memories, but now they're not being continually eaten."

"It's good that you're free, at least," she said. "I heard the crystal too; it's good that it's going with you, since I'm headed back home to Tipa."

"Actually, we're headed to Tipa as well," Leon said. "One of the crystals wants to go there."

Tsu Fai smiled. "I can take the lead if you like." Then she glanced back at her wagon, serious. "Although, do you happen to know anything about healing selkies, Hurdy? The doctor here had no idea what to do with him."

After a moment of thought, Hurdy nodded. "Yes, I've studied up on the old schools of magic in white and black, so I might be able to do something. What's happened to your friend?"

"You might want to see for yourself," she said, waving him over to her wagon.

"You go on ahead," Leon said, checking up on their own wagon. The group of kids was now nearby, looking over it. "I might need to make sure these kids aren't troublemakers."

Inside of Tsu Fai's wagon, there was a blue-haired man sitting on the floor, his knees close to his chest. He didn't appear to notice them climbing in at all. Instead, he was gazing into a small glowing crystal attached to a wooden bracelet. The pearlescent color of it was clearly that of the holy element. When Hurdy crouched by his side, he noticed that the selkie also had odd patches of hardened skin. Scars? But no… they looked almost like scales.

"It's almost a transformation," Hurdy said, gently touching one of the patches on his arm. There was a smoothness and warmth of skin, then the firmness of a scale that wouldn't give way to light pressure.

"This is De Nam," Tsu Fai said, sitting on a bench seat nearby. "He went to Conall Curach on his own to see if people could adapt to living in the miasma. He said it was like building up a resistance to poison by consuming small amounts of it."

"Such training is dangerous to attempt," he said, trying to get a good look into his eyes. The irises of his eyes were blue-green, except at the edges where they seemed pink. "How was he doing this?"

"By going in and out of his crystal's sphere of protection," she explained. "And a few months back, he told me he was drinking miasma-tainted water since he'd hit some limit of endurance. His letters became increasingly incoherent and messy after that, so I hunted him down once I took care of Raem."

He cast his scanning magic to figure out how his body was doing internally. It seemed to be working properly, but he felt the haze of miasma within De Nam. Especially with his brain; his mental activity seemed almost feral, calm solely because of what he was focusing on. But around his hands, there was a glow of the holy magic within. It was trying to make progress there. What exactly was it doing to him?

 _...hate the whole world stop the noise stop the living kill them all hate yourself…_

His blood went cold all through his body; the words made his thoughts freeze in terror. Hurdy stumbled back, just barely catching himself from landing on his back. Tsu Fai was quickly near him, worried about both of them now. "Hurdy?"

"S-sorry," he said, removing his hat and putting a hand to his forehead trying to clear the voice out. "The miasma is still in his body. Its voice is sadistic and dark. Although, I don't know if he can hear it exactly." He moved to sit on his knees instead. "You've been to Mount Vellenge; is this your crystal?"

She nodded. "He snatched it from me as soon as he could and has been like this ever since. I can get him to drink spring water if I put the container in his hand, but he hasn't eaten much yet."

"I think this crystal is trying to purify him," Hurdy said, opening his bag to get one of the larger crystals out. The one from here in Marr's Pass was easiest to get. "Is that right?"

 _Yes, he should keep that fragment always until the miasma is fully purged from him. Bring him to the Crystal in Tipa when you go to fuse it with the one from Tida; that will help speed things along. It will be able to tell him when he can let go of the fragment. Even while he's unresponsive like this, he should continue to take care of his necessities as long as some food and water are nearby._

"What's it saying now?" Tsu Fai asked, looking at the Marr's Pass crystal in Hurdy's hands. "All I can hear now is something like bells."

"One has to be able to listen past the bells in order to understand the crystals fully," he said. "But it confirmed that your crystal is purifying him. He needs to wear that bracelet at all times now so it can continue its work. Right now, he isn't thinking much above an animalistic level. I think consuming the miasma water much longer would have eventually turned him into a monster; that's why these scales were trying to form."

"They were worse looking when I found him," she said.

"It's going to take some time for him to recover since it got in his body and mind," Hurdy said. "But as I said, let the crystal do its work and keep good water and food where he can take it when he wants. When we get to Tipa, I have some business with the crystal there; I'll bring him with me and it will do what it can to help, including telling you both when the miasma is gone and he can let go of this crystal fragment."

Tsu Fai nodded. "I see. It seems everyone needs time to recover. In that case, let's head on to Tipa."

When he got back to his wagon, Leon was still talking with the kids. He did wave them off once he saw him. "Sorry, but we've got to be heading on. And you two keep practicing; I'm sure there will still be a need for those who can protect others."

"Thanks, sir!" one of the boys said, before he and his friends ran off. They didn't go far since they still wanted to watch them leave.

"What were you talking with them about?" Hurdy asked as they got onto the driver's bench.

"They were asking all kinds of questions, including if we'd run into the Black Knight," Leon said.

"What did you say about that?" Hurdy asked, worried that it may have upset him.

Fortunately, he smiled at that. "I told them that I was the Black Knight. I don't know if they believed me, but they all squealed and had even more questions. Like if I would really come after kids who were out too late. I said that I was getting out of that work to become a paladin, but they should still behave themselves." Leon then waved over to Tsu Fai, letting her know they were ready to go. "Is her friend going to be okay?"

"In time," Hurdy said. "They already had the means to cure him, which was good." As they headed out of town, he started back up with Cecil's story. There was a lot more to get through with him.


	5. Return

**Chapter 5: Return**

It continued to be a great day to be on the road. The way down to Tipa was a beautiful countryside, full of hills covered in grasses and flowers. Like with the other roads they'd taken, fruit trees were scattered alongside the road. Several were ready with fresh fruits too, although they weren't stopping to take any. They did see some folks out along the road gathering the fruits, something that wouldn't have been possible with the miasma. They waved cheerfully at Tsu Fai, seeming to already know what she had done. Despite not knowing them as well, the people still offered a warm welcome.

The stable was at the edge of the town as usual, in front of a plain bridge over a stream. Hopping off the wagon, Hurdy felt like this place was strongly familiar. Tsu Fai had to coax De Nam out of the wagon, so he went closer to the bridge to get a look into town. It seemed like a nice place, surrounded by large trees and lined with dirt paths. Across the bridge, he could see people of all races chatting together. That was a promising sign to what this town was like.

However, Hurdy found his attention drawn back to the bridge. It was really a plain bridge, no rails and only a foot off the water. It should be something that drew little attention. Looking at it, he felt something like a gaping hole in his heart. His thoughts buzzed and banged around. He was going to be alone. Why was he going to be alone? This was unimaginable, terrible. What was terrible, what was happening to him, why was everything so dim?

Leon came up to him by the bridge. "What is it, Hurdy?" Leon asked.

He wished he knew, and why he was dizzy with the crazy thoughts piling up. "This place seems familiar," someone said. It took a moment for him to realize that he'd said it. "I should get to the crystal quickly."

After a moment, Leon said, "I see. I'll make arrangements here and at the inn since it's late. Make sure to head over with Tsu Fai and De Nam, since he needs to be there."

"Yeah, sure," he replied, although he normally wasn't so casual. Once Leon stepped away, something put his hand to his chin and covered his mouth. "Just hang in there; you need to do this since I can't."

What was going on?! His chest tightened and he wanted to get away from this bridge. But he wasn't fully in control of his body. Nor his mind. Something terrible was going to happen. Had happened. Was happening. But what? He never wanted to come back until… until something, but it wasn't getting done. Probably because he didn't remember.

Whoever the other was in control sighed softly. "Calm down. I'll get you across the bridge and to the crystal, but then you have to do what we came to do."

Right, he came here for a reason. But why was this bridge such a problem? Hurdy tried to take a few deep breaths, trying to shoo out the excess of disconnected thoughts. Maybe he was from this town instead. Maybe something had happened at this bridge here. But he didn't remember any of it, so there wasn't much he could do. It shouldn't bother him. It should just be a bridge.

"Have you been here before, Hurdy?" Tsu Fai asked. She was pulling De Nam along while he looked down blankly.

"Possibly," the other said. "But I wouldn't remember this place, sorry. I only just started remembering things."

She nodded and started heading across the bridge. "It's okay then. The crystal is just down the road; nearly every path leads to it. And for the one that doesn't, well you'd be able to see it plain and clear from there."

The other moved him forward since Hurdy would have been frozen to the spot. The aged wooden planks amplified the sounds of their footsteps. While it seemed like a pleasant sound, his mind was so convinced that something terrible would happen that his heart started to race. The other echoed what Hurdy had done, trying to calm his mind and body down. But it wasn't until he was fully across that he began to relax. Nothing unusual had happened. It was just a bridge, after all.

"Sis, you're back!" A younger selkie, still a child, came running up to them. "You did it!"

"Of course I did," Tsu Fai said, patting her sister on the head. "But we have something important here to do first, so we'll get together in a bit."

Other neighbors called out greetings, and the girl with them (Momo Phiy apparently) wanted to know all about them, what had happened, and what they were doing. Tsu Fai kept teasing her about not telling her things. The whole time, Hurdy felt like he was passing through a surreal dream. A house looked familiar, but a tree didn't. The people were and weren't familiar; there was a large stone surrounded by tufts of grass that seemed like it was always there. He could imagine running through the streets like these kids and that felt real. But there was no proof in his mind that any of it was real, just these feelings that swelled and scattered off this or that.

Maybe it was good they hadn't gone through Alfitaria and tormented Leon with feelings like this; maybe he should warn him.

They had gathered a small crowd by the time they reached the town guardian. Hurdy felt an intense nostalgia being there; the stone altar was familiar, yet worn a little more from years that had past. In contrast, the crystal wouldn't weather at all. It shone with such clarity that sunbeams danced along its facets. Yet, there was a sleepiness to it; it must have been purified recently, perhaps later than the others he'd seen.

 _It's been many years, Hurdy._

The voice of the crystal shook him out of his mental fog. "Has it?" he said, clutching his hand to his chest in part to assure himself that he was back in control. "It does feel like I've returned to a dear friend in being here."

 _We can talk in a little bit. For this, would you bring out all the crystals you have brought here? We need to cast out the last of the miasma from the Tida crystal._

Hurdy bowed his head, then took out the ones he had: the Tida crystal, the Marr's Pass crystal, his shell pendant, the crystal pendant that Leon had been wearing (he hadn't asked for it back, for some reason). He faintly heard a child ask what he was doing, but he was already focused on this task. Thankfully, Tsu Fai replied and got her neighbors to keep back as they weren't sure what would happen.

The prayer started the same, as to be expected. "Blessed Crystal, source of all Life, I come in service of you. The one who harmed you is gone. The one who brought the sickening miasma is gone. Now is the time for healing."

In front of him, the two traveling crystals floated off the altar. The two fragments sparkled, sending beams of gold and blue to the floating ones. Behind him, two more beams joined in: a golden one from the compact crystal bracelet that De Nam was currently wearing and a green one from another fragment that Tsu Fai seemed to have in a belt pouch. And another beam joined in from a greater distance, also gold; it was from the town's chalice crystal. Every fragment of the Crystal of Life that was currently in Tipa poured in their efforts to do what must be done.

The Tida crystal was still dimmer than the others; a shadow lurked in its depths, hiding from the light. But so much light came at it that it quickly became exposed. The wisp of miasma escaped from the Tida crystal only to find that the air was no longer comfortable to it. Desperate and hating the light, the miasma reached out to what was now escaping De Nam's body, also finding the pooling of the power of life at odds with itself. The miasma tried to form something.

But it had no chance to today. Wrapped up in the crystal's voice, Hurdy gestured to the miasma wisp. "The last strains of the world's sickness are no longer wanted. Miasma, be gone from within this faded crystal! Your time has ended."

There was a phantasmal shriek as the miasma wisp was purified to nothing. Only those sensitive to the voice of the crystals would be able to hear that. Everyone else might feel a moment of anxiety before relaxing due to the danger being gone. Behind him, De Nam had fallen to his knees due to the purification going on around him. But his mind was waking back up too, returning him to a more normal level of thought. This hadn't cast out all the miasma from his body; that would still take time. At least now, he'd be able to take care of himself.

With the Tida crystal clear, it was time to fuse the two. The crystals gave him guidance as they had before. "With the flames that fuel civilizations and destroy them, with the fires that inspire, create, protect, and ruin, your power will burn for all time. You will now be reborn as a source of one of the great elements. You are now the Crystal of Fire. May you shine for all time, bringing the blessings of Fire into the world."

The crystal now shone red, scattering flickers of light everywhere. It emitted a warmth like a campfire. Now that it was reborn, it settled itself back into its stone nest. The people gasped in wonder. Like the people of Shella, they wanted to know about the crystal changing. Hurdy told them the same kind of thing; those who could should listen to the crystal and follow its guidance. Otherwise, it was best to leave it alone to do its work.

Once the initial questions were answered and people began to leave to tell others or get back to their usual business, he was able to turn back to the new Crystal of Fire. "If you know me, do you know what's wrong with me here? It had been a good day up until I saw the bridge."

 _Some of your problems come from not knowing your past. Your family has lived here for generations. And for generations, they have been seeking the means to end the curse of miasma. Your parents died on that bridge after they scaled Mount Vellenge and failed to destroy Raem._

Hurdy felt that sickening feeling of a gaping hole in his heart. "I must have seen it given how I felt."

 _Yes; they were very dear to you. But you carried on their mission, as your father carried out his father's mission. While you were unable to complete it, the efforts of your family led to the permanent destruction of the miasma. We are grateful to your whole lineage for that._

"But what difference did I make?" Hurdy asked. "What did she have that no one else did?"

 _There were many factors that had to be in place for Raem to be defeated. The holy element was required to reach Mount Vellenge; your family was the one who found a consistent manner to find a holy blessing in Lynari Desert. A team was required; you had Leon with you, and Tsu Fai had Mog. The team needed weapon and magic skills, courage, positivity, hope for the future, respect for the past, and many experiences in order to have the ability to break Lady Mio's despair and defeat Lord Raem. Both of your teams had that. Mog also had resistance to the miasma and Raem's power in being a moogle. But the thing that truly made a difference was that both you and Tsu Fai frequently wrote about your experience in journals. That gave you both memories stronger than most people. However, she reviewed her journal thoroughly before climbing Mount Vellenge. You did not. You and Leon had a chance, but it failed to work. Tsu Fai and Mog had a greater chance that finally completed the mission._

"So it was my fault for lessening our chances," Hurdy said, feeling sick again at that.

Then the crystal surprised him. _Do not blame yourself. Not even we knew that was enough to make a difference. This victory was won generation by generation, learning small things that built up to a position where Raem could be defeated. Your contribution was valuable: you wrote a poem that greatly simplified the process needed to gain the holy element on a crystal fragment. The task of gaining that key once required a great deal of secret knowledge into how magic works. You made it possible for someone who only knew how to cast magic from magicite or rings to gain the key. You then taught your brother Gurdy the poem, and then Gurdy passed it along to Tsu Fai. Without you, we would still be living under the sickness of miasma._

"Then it was a chain that could not be broken," he said. It was a small relief, but he still felt like he had make up for his deficiency.

 _There was one other thing about you that helped in some ways and hurt in others. There is a trait you have that makes it far easier for us to speak with you. It is also another cause of what happened when you saw the bridge here. Until you understand that aspect of yourself, it will hold you back more and more. You have the potential for your personality to fragment._

Fragment… he recalled the strange sensation of walking through town without being in control of himself. "It must have happened already. But how does that help me hear you?"

 _We normally speak on a level that affects the emotions of a mortal being. Unless we take great care, we can unintentionally disturb you. We do not wish to make you afraid of us, so we don't speak much. But due to your fragmented personality, you can shift the emotional disturbance away from your conscious mind. That lets us speak naturally to you._

"Was that something I had to learn or does it just happen?"

Since he was interested, the crystal went into more detail on how that worked. Apparently, he had a great deal of knowledge about magic that most people didn't.

* * *

"Kupo! Mail here!" A moogle wearing a checkered vest descended right next to Leon and offered him two envelopes.

He'd just come out from the inn; its keeper had been surprised that they had a guest, but promised to have everything ready by sundown. "Thank you, but how did you know I was here?" he asked the moogle, accepting the two letters. They were both addressed to him, under his real name.

"Moogle magic!" the mail moogle said proudly, his chest all puffed up. "Don't question it! Since you're in town, you can send replies by the town post. Postage on these is already paid, so I hope it's good news! Bye!" He then flew off on other deliveries.

Both of the envelopes were thick, suggesting there was quite a lot to look at. One was from Amidatty; he must have been quite the quick writer to get something like this to him so soon. Or the mail moogle was a truly speedy flier. And the other… the handwriting on it was familiar, and bewilderingly endearing. From… Jona Esla and Leon Jr., his wife and son. He knew that, yet it gave him a chill, a dreadful hollow feeling of knowing that there should be something there, and there was, but there wasn't.

There was also something seemingly engraved in his mind, like something that he wasn't allowed to forget no matter how many other memories slipped through his fingers. Total whiteness and a voice that came from all sides, something he couldn't fight. _You will forever be a hollow man, wandering the world without rest, without a place to call home. That is your punishment for daring to go against me._

A rush of energy overcame Leon, with a sense that this was a battle where more than his life was at stake. And here he was with just leather armor, vulnerable and exposed to his enemy. He started to reach for his weapon, searching for a light or some dangerous movement. But, the only light was the sun, shining overhead and sparkling off the stream. There was excited chatter as people strolled down the road. They were unarmed, relaxed and in a joyous mood.

"He's gone now," he said quietly to himself, resisting his battle instincts so he didn't scare them by suddenly drawing his weapon. A beastly bellow nearly got to him a second later. No, that was just a cow, perhaps calling a greeting on seeing someone familiar come back. He was not hollow; he was remembering things now. Leon tried to assure himself with that as he walked to where the crystal should be. Hopefully, that shook off this battle instinct that was falsely triggered.

From the talk of the villagers, the Crystal of Fire now resided here. They were all greatly impressed by what Hurdy had done. Leon felt worried for him again. At the bridge, he had seemed to be Gurdy, albeit in a strange daze like he was half-asleep. But he'd have to be Hurdy to fuse the Crystal into one. Leon had hoped that getting Hurdy (or Gurdy) to head for the Crystal would be enough to keep him safe despite others not realizing what was going on with them. That way, he could take care of normal things like getting an inn room without having to keep an eye on them when they seemed troubled.

And it seemed his hope was right. He found Hurdy by the Crystal of Fire as expected, deep in conversation with it. Not far from there, he spotted Tsu Fai and De Nam by another group of selkies, presumably her family. It looked like things were okay. And when Leon was a few feet from the Crystal of Fire, he felt a relaxing warmth that helped drive off his fit of paranoia. They had to wait on the inn to be prepared anyhow, so it could be best for him to review these letters here.

He sat against the stone path around the crystal and checked Amidatty's letter first, since it wasn't bothering him. There was a small paperback book inside with the title of Principles of Honor. That made more sense of the quick delivery as the letter itself wasn't that long.

'To Leon:

'First, I must apologize you giving you my own test. Hurdy and Gurdy are troublesome to most people, so I wanted to see if you were truly willing to look after and protect them before letting you two go off on your own. Even with the miasma gone, they'd be in serious trouble if they get abandoned on the road yet again. And if you had gone off on your own from Shella, I would seriously doubt your capability to become a paladin. I saw you speaking with Hurdy this morning by the Crystal; that leads me to believe that you do have the right nature for a paladin even with your own difficulties.

Since you are taking them with you, I'll give you some advice on how to handle them. I'm not a great source as I've not studied much on mental maladies, but I have some experiences in dealing with both of them. They do not seem to be aware of each other except as brothers who have not met. Trying to suggest to them otherwise leads to their moods becoming highly unstable, so I'd suggest not doing so unless they manage to make that realization themselves. I have only observed the two personalities myself in him although I believe there is a chance that another one may emerge if another traumatic event occurs to them.

Gurdy is a liar and a con artist, to be frank. Most anything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt. He seems to only care about money, himself, and Hurdy. He says at times that he feels like he should be responsible to his brother's well-being, but doesn't seem to care too much about that. From listening to others and my own observations, I feel like Gurdy is something of a con addict, like a gambling addict who can't resist the lure of cards and dice. He carries out some preposterous scams that risk him being hated when they're revealed (and it's usually not hard to do that). He even realizes the foolishness of his behavior, but he continues doing so.

Hurdy is an idealist to the point of being delusional with it on occasion. Your first trek to Mount Vellenge seems to have made that worse in him. He was more grounded back when he was studying in Shella, if a bit obsessed with his goals. But in the past few years when I've met him, he seems more detached from reality. He is selfless and kind, and he would give away the last of his bannock to another if they were in need even if it put him in a worse position. Yet he is still capable of incredible acts such as what he is doing with the crystals. He would deny being anything more than a preacher, but I'd call him something more holy than a priest, unfortunately to his own detriment.

In the past few years, I've also noticed a darkness in both of them that they can't escape. They might be able to now with Raem out of the picture, but they'll have a harder time than you healing those scars. They'll both try to hide it, but they each had a self-loathing that worsens their condition. Hurdy blames himself for your failure at Mount Vellenge; I've seen several psychotic fits and sudden rants out of him before he faints and becomes Gurdy. And while Gurdy is selfish, he sometimes will admit to being a terrible person who shouldn't be trusted. He also confesses to his crimes more readily than a true con artist. Sometimes, it feels like he's trying to make people hate him. They're more dangerous to themselves than to anyone else.

When you get used to them, you'll be able to tell who you're dealing with quickly. Both of them are very knowledgeable in many fields and that knowledge does focus their thoughts. The simplest way to get either of them to calm down is to let them tell a story or explain something. You can also let them read if you have some books along. With Gurdy, he's thankfully not stubborn and will take rebukes from his bad habits fairly. Hurdy can be more of a problem as he'll frequently need to be reminded to take care of himself. Make sure he's eating well as he will make himself sick with hunger or thirst without realizing it. He was like that even before Raem cursed you both.

Lastly, about what you need to know to become a paladin: Principles of Honor here was written by a paladin who must have been much like yourself. You may keep this copy as I have another. This is the better textbook for you to have, as Path of the Paladin was written by a scholar who worked with a paladin rather than being one himself. They have the same basic ideas, with this one being more practical-minded from someone who lived with a paladin's ethics in everything he did.

As I did hear what you two planned, I've made my own plans with my fiancé to visit the Fields of Fum soon. We'll be there in case Hurdy decides against going to Mount Vellenge with you.

From Amidatty'

Leon glanced over at Hurdy; he was still talking with the crystal. He had observed these things already, but it was good to have confirmation. Also, it was good to know that Amidatty was ready and willing to help if need be. He felt like it was a rare person who'd head off to a whole different town in case his help was needed. Maybe he had other reasons.

Then, the other letter… Leon took a deep breath, then opened up the envelope and took out the letter. It came with some photographs: a wedding photo, something that looked like a knight's ceremony, a series showing a lilty child growing up for a few years. The boy wasn't familiar, although he had some physical traits like himself, and the woman in the photos. And the woman made his heart ache with loneliness even though he hadn't been able to put a face to the name until seeing these photos.

"Jona," he murmured, feeling a lot of things but not sure what it all meant. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "No, you must have been very dear to me once. I just don't know anything more than what's here in my hands." The thought seemed to settle his mind, so he read the letter.

'Dear Leon:

I was so surprised to hear from you! It's a relief, and yet full of new worries. Are you alright traveling around? I have heard a number of troubling reports about you and it sounded like you were living a nightmare. They said it was too dangerous for me to go out and try to talk to you. Although, I wished I could talk with you. I'd hoped I could do something, but it sounds like there might not have been much I could do for you.

Since the miasma vanished, I've been feeling a lot more cheerful. There's been a gloominess that's been hanging over me that lightened a great deal even before I got your letter. It's a shame that you couldn't regain your memories. But in your words, I can still find your old self. I've missed you so much, but I've found it extremely difficult to talk about you. I couldn't even tell our son that you were the Black Knight. I think everyone else was too polite to tell him either, so he became convinced that the Black Knight killed you. But now I could finally tell him the truth. We were both really happy to hear from you.

Leon Jr is a determined energetic boy, hard for me to keep up with sometimes. He usually isn't a troublemaker, though. As he did know his Poppa is a great knight, he tries to be an honorable man. The other knights have been helpful to both of us, teaching him so he can be accepted as a squire soon and being respectful and watchful over me. They treated me like a knight's widow, so they're glad to hear that you're back.

Are you sure you're going to be fine traveling with Hurdy again? That got you in trouble last time. Although, this decision doesn't surprise me. You were always searching for something great to do for the world, or a way to be acknowledged as a master. You simply felt like the praise you were given was overblown for what you'd done. Perhaps with this, your restlessness will be settled.

I love you, and I hope you come back home soon.

From Jona'

"Maybe it won't be so bad if I go back, even without my memories," Leon said. He still felt that frightening hollowness, but there was a warmth at Jona's words that made the feeling not as painful. He looked back over the photos, trying to make these images familiar.

"I'm sorry if I worried you earlier," Hurdy said suddenly, coming over from the altar. He went ahead and sat down by him.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Are you better now?"

He nodded, looking over the houses around them. "I'm from this town, actually, not Tida like we were thinking. What we saw must have been from sometime that I traveled. The crystal told me that I saw my parents die at the bridge coming into town. That's why I froze up there."

"But you wouldn't remember that," Leon said. That was something that seemed almost good to forget.

Hurdy sighed softly, then took the crystal pendant off his bag. "Consider this: I think it's half of a clam shell. It should have a matching half." He put his hand over the pendant like that other half. "This used to be a living creature. Can you see it in your mind?"

"I'm not sure what a clam actually looks like, but I think I can," Leon said.

Hurdy took his hand off. "But the clam itself is gone from the world and I don't have the other half of the shell. This half of the shell remains. It is like our memories: they're gone from us like the clam is gone from the shell. But memories are what make up a person. Your experiences build on each other. If the memories are taken out, the shells of that experiences remain. We're something like hermit crabs, living in the shells of our former selves."

Nodding, Leon said, "So you knew something tragic happened there even if you didn't remember what."

He put the pendant back in place. "Exactly. It was very disorienting as my thoughts became frantic, making my body go into a panicked state. Once the crystal told me what happened, I feel calmer since I knew what was missing. When you go back to Alfitaria, you might experience the same thing."

"Perhaps, but I got a letter from Jona that might help," he said, holding it up. "She even sent some photos."

"That's great," Hurdy said, smiling at that. "How are they doing?"

"They're fine, hoping that I come back. I was just thinking that I might; Jona knows me well, better than I do right now." Hurdy was back to looking around the town. "What about you? Would you want to come back here?"

"I don't know about that," he said, putting his arms around his knees. "I don't feel comfortable being here. Hey, may I ask you about something?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Leon asked.

"Well it's a strange question," he said, "but you've talked with both me and Gurdy. The crystal told me that I have a fragmented personality. Are we the same person?"

Leon wasn't going to mention it. But since Hurdy brought it up, he nodded. "Yes, I've seen you slip back and forth myself. But you've done so under stress, so I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell you."

"I might not have believed you," Hurdy said. "It's a strange thing to realize that the brother I wanted to meet was with me all along. But it does make sense now that I need to work on understanding myself. I suppose I should write Gurdy about this. What would I even say to myself?"

"Don't you both write each other already?" Leon asked. "I'm sure he'd believe you."

"Oh, the journals!" He grimaced at the thought. "I should have realized something was going on by them, since we write back and forth in the same book. But I always thought it was some spell."

"It might also be Raem's curse that kept you from realizing so until now," he said. "You'll be able to work things out together, I'm sure."

"Thanks," Hurdy said. They stayed up for a while discussing what he and Gurdy should discuss.


	6. Realize

**Chapter 6: Realize**

'Gurdy, there's something that I must tell you. It's hard to believe, but you and I are actually the same person. The Crystal of Fire in Tipa told me that I should understand myself, including this truth about us. I thought we were very different from each other. But as we share the same mind and body, maybe we're not that different. This fragmented personality is why we can hear the crystals easier than most people, but it does make things difficult for us.'

His brother had a lot more to write, although much of it bored Gurdy. It was academic and philosophical ramblings, plus questions on things that he wasn't interested in. Although, it was a curious question of how the both of them emerged from one mind. The differences between them weren't as strange when they were brothers.

"Maybe I'm the evil half," Gurdy mumbled to himself, then laughed. "I'd say I was light on the evil, though I do cause him more trouble than he deserves. But what do we do about this?"

That was the big question now. Hurdy didn't seem sure about it either. With two of them being the same, it could make for some interesting scams… no, he couldn't do that to his brother. Even if the tricks could potentially get them some good gil, it wasn't worth ruining Hurdy's reputation as well. But what he did didn't interest Gurdy. Hurdy wanted to lift people's spirits, learn about all kinds of things that didn't mean anything in day to day life, and help others find peace with themselves. Maybe even find peace of mind for himself, which was indeed made more difficult when Gurdy was entirely disconnected to him.

Disconnected… Gurdy closed his eyes and thought back over some memories he did have. They weren't quite memories, being things he knew about himself and Hurdy. Some of them were in a dream-like haze that were almost memories. At one time, perhaps, he could feel himself outside of this body. He was watching over his brother as a child. Hurdy could hear voices of spirits, of the crystal, even of the miasma. As a result, he wasn't as interested in voices of normal life. That had Gurdy worried. Hurdy would just watch the clouds, not realizing that the path he was on was precarious.

And there was what happened just yesterday. He'd felt disembodied, waking up to a feeling of panic. He found himself standing in front of a bridge, in front of the town of Tipa. Various things came into his mind: this was not a good place to be, he was avoiding this region for a good reason, he was to take care of his brother because they were alone. The Tida crystal wanted to be here in Tipa and Hurdy was the one who could bring the fragments together. However, Hurdy was frozen in shock because of a painful scar that had been forgotten until they saw the place again.

Having lost their memories might have some good points, such as not remembering whatever happened here. But even those good points caused problems. Following some knowledge as disembodied as himself, Gurdy took over their shared body and walked Hurdy over to the crystal. It had made sense at the time. But now that it was pointed out, he wondered why he didn't realize the truth of their existence sooner, that those dreams were real.

That he was borrowing not just his brother's clothes, but his brother's life.

"Should I even be here?" Gurdy mumbled to himself. The wagon rumbled along, leaving puffs of dust above the road. He'd sat at the back of the wagon this morning to think over things; Leon hadn't asked about it, but he seemed to understand. Hurdy had probably told him about things yesterday when he learned about it.

 _You protect your brother even though you act like you don't care about anything._

"Hmm?" The voice came through a cluster of phantasmal bells. That was… Gurdy reached back to check his bag. There was one of the crystals inside. "I thought you stayed in Tipa."

 _I was the one who guarded Marr's Pass; I have yet to reach my home._

"Oh right, that was on the way," he said, bringing the crystal back and turning back to the passing road. "But I'm sure I cause Hurdy more problems than he deserves."

 _That is true._

Gurdy smiled sheepishly. "Ouch, not holding back on anything, are you? What I mean is, I don't see how somebody like me can protect anybody."

 _He nearly ran away from Tipa. You made sure he entered when he didn't have the courage. That led him to understanding what was wrong and not being afraid of it. And through your whole existence, you looked after mundane matters that Hurdy had few thoughts for._

"What, you mean like getting money and such?" Gurdy asked. "Well life isn't all about dreams and ideals. You can't just hope and pray to make things go right. If you want to get things done, you'll always need money."

 _Yes, but you are too focused on mundane matters like Hurdy is too focused on spiritual and intellectual matters. You're also lazy and addicted to the thrill of trickery. You don't even care if you win or lose on a con, just that you're making a fool of others. But you mostly make a fool of yourself._

He frowned a moment, not liking how the crystal saw to the truth of things. Various arguments came to mind that he knew he should keep to himself; they were secret thoughts that others would be disturbed by. But then, he was talking with a being that instantly saw the truth of himself. "Well if you're purely honest in business, everyone else is going to take advantage of you. Hard work earns you more work, not much money, and no notoriety. Even the most kindly person is selfish at their core and will laugh silently at you. So you may as well take what advantage you can get and enjoy what you do."

 _Do you fully believe everyone things like that? Even your brother?_

For a moment, Gurdy felt guilty about voicing that. "Well… well maybe he's so pure because I am his darker side, disconnected to him. Hmph, but that makes us together rather twisted, doesn't it? I always knew he was my older brother, so, does that mean he's our true self and I'm just some phantasm?"

 _He is the main personality of your mind, but he's not your true self. Neither are you._

"What?" Gurdy looked at the crystal, shimmering with sunlight in his hand. He had a feeling that even if he chucked it out into the roadside with all his might, it'd stay right by him. "That shouldn't be right."

 _Even as you feel that way, you know it to be the truth._

"Man, it's a good thing most people can't understand you because you'd annoy so many of them," Gurdy said. "So what is it? Is there some third person with us that is the one who should be living this life?"

 _No. You two should balance each other as you once did. We have a plan for that, to help you both find true understanding._

His immediate thought was 'why should I drag Hurdy down?' But he was sure his brother would tell him to trust in the crystals. "Oh yeah? What is it?"

A short time later, the wagon slowed to a stop. "Gurdy, we're at the dock," Leon called from the driver's seat.

"Sure, I can tell that," he said, hopping down to the ground. They had to get the papaopamus to pull the wagon onto the ship, something he felt like could be trouble. But glancing around, he noticed something was off. This dock area of Jegon River should have a couple of crystals that kept the passage safe, out in the river itself. They were gone now.

An explanation for that came up when they talked with the lilty ferryman about traveling to Leuda. "Are you the pair that's working for the crystals?" he asked.

"Yes, they decided to consolidate themselves since the miasma is gone," Leon said.

"There's supposed to be several along the Jegon, isn't there?" Gurdy asked.

The ferryman nodded. "Yes, and it's the strangest thing, but the night after the miasma disappeared, they all gathered together on my boat. They spoke in a weird voice I barely understood, saying that they were waiting on a lilty and a clavat who would go to Leuda from here. Then I got word yesterday of what happened with various other town crystals."

"But mostly about Marr's Pass, right?" Leon guessed. "They weren't too happy about it."

"They still don't understand why their town wasn't chosen," the ferryman said. "But they seem to realize that they have to accept it. It's been a little strange for me to navigate without the crystals here. But in my view, if they want to be somewhere, they ought to be there."

Thankfully, the papaopamus was cooperative in getting on the boat. Maybe the animal realized it was going to get a ride itself. Once they had the wagon secure, Gurdy went over to where he river crystals now gathered. They were in tall fragments, floating closely together but not fusing. "Hello, so where are you going?"

 _We must go to Leuda. We would have stayed when this boat last traveled there, but we were waiting on you._

"All right, my brother will take care of you," Gurdy said.

 _And will you work with us?_

He hadn't really said he would or wouldn't when talking to the Marr's Pass crystal. "You guys really are one mind," he said. "Sure, I'll follow your plan. It's a nasty trick even by my standards, but, I see what you're doing. Just let me talk to Leon first."

 _Very well. And thank you for doing this even though it's outside your normal interests._

Gurdy shrugged at that. "Eh, it'll end up benefiting both of us if it works. I'm a bit worried leaving it up to Hurdy, but if you think he's up to it, I'll give it a whirl."

The ferryman then rang a bell, indicating that they were leaving the dock. Leon came up to him, looking over the fragmented crystal. "Where are these ones wanting to go?"

"Lueda, all of them," Gurdy answered. "Which is nice, since we don't have to double back all the way to Shella or something."

Leon nodded. "We'll have to be careful; the ferryman was telling me that the selkies there often take advantage of caravanners heading out to the desert."

Putting his hand to his chin, he said, "Well, it might not be that big of a problem. The crystals are revered by everyone. Even the people of Marr's Pass backed down when they acknowledged what the crystal's will was. If it's anything like the others, Hurdy will want to go heal them immediately. Then he'll tell them that that crystal, most likely to be that of water, is now their responsibility. When they see that you're both there in service of the crystals, I'm sure even old-fashioned selkies would be respectful."

"I hope it's like that," Leon said, then looked up at him. "Are you troubled learning the truth about yourself and Hurdy? You've been off by yourself all morning."

"Don't worry about me," he said, giving a little laugh like he didn't care. "It's a weird thing to realize, but I'll be fine. Actually, I was wondering how Hurdy would do on his own. It's quite disorienting when you suddenly blank out, then wake up at a completely different time and place. It was pretty bad back at Moschet Manor. If I could leave Hurdy to an uninterrupted day, it could be better for the both of us."

Fortunately, Leon seemed agreeable to the idea. "He almost had one yesterday. But what about yourself?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who was born into this body," Gurdy said, waving his hands. "Guess you could say I was born a thief, huh? Although, I've realized that I came about in order to protect him. So when I start causing him more problems then I'm worth, then..." he shrugged, "well, I've got to figure out what I should do with myself. I think, if I'm aware of the situation, I might be able to keep my thoughts to myself, like off in a corner of our mind while he's in control. But I don't know what that'll do to him. So, do you mind keeping an eye on him for me? Especially around Mount Vellenge; he might freeze up again and I might not be paying attention then."

Leon didn't even hesitate to answer, "Of course. I just hope you don't mean to abandon Hurdy, especially if your initial purpose was to protect him."

"Nah, I'm not heartless," Gurdy said. "I just..." he rubbed his head, trying to figure a way to be cool about it. "I just have to figure out what I should be doing, that's all. And it might take time."

Actually, he knew what he'd be doing. The crystals' plan was a good one. He just wanted to be sure that Hurdy wouldn't be entirely alone while they were waiting on the proper time.

* * *

The trip over the sea was enough for Hurdy to tell him more of Cecil's story, in particular his trial on Mount Ordeals that lead him to becoming a paladin. He did have companions with him, but they were people who could hold their own. While one was an old man, he was a renown sage that knew a lot about magic. The other two were children, but they were prodigy mages sent along to keep an eye on Cecil and help protect him while he was adjusting to his new class. As mages, they were better off with a tougher warrior to protect them. But they didn't strictly need that.

He and Hurdy were in a different situation. Still, it was good to hear the story. There was even more to it, but Leuda was now in sight. The island had high cliffs and tiny rocky beaches; a group of huts lined a winding path up a gap in the cliffs. While this couldn't be a popular destination, the road was smooth and wide enough for a papaopamus wagon to ascend up towards the desert. The crystal itself was surprisingly at the base of the cliffs, forcing the houses to remain close to shore. Then again, the spread of the crystal would have given them plenty of safe areas to fish.

"I'm going to need a few minutes to get the boat hooked up so you can take the wagon off," the ferryman said, already going about his work. "The papaopamus won't feel comfortable leaving otherwise."

"Sure," Leon said. Hurdy was already leading the crystal fragments over to Leuda's guardian. Leon followed since he'd missed the last one.

There were several residents near the docks, all selkies. Some were taking care of fish caught earlier in the day; a trio were cleaning up a little shop since the ferry had shown up unexpectedly. And a group of children came running down the slope to see why the two travelers had a bunch of floating crystals with them. Leon kept himself looking relaxed while keeping an eye on what was going on around them. It came naturally, like he used to do this kind of act daily.

When Hurdy started to pray, one of the kids asked Leon, "Hey, mister, what's he doing?"

"Watch and you'll see," Leon said.

"From the flow of streams to the tides of the ocean, no life can be without the force that birthed it. You will now be reborn as a source of one of the great elements. You are now the Crystal of Water. May you shine for all time, bringing the blessings of Water into the world." The fused crystal shone a sapphire sheen; the waves burst up suddenly, seemingly drawn to the reborn crystal.

The kids watching cheered while the adults who hadn't come over were staring. "Wow, did you make the crystal stronger?"

"Sort of," Hurdy said. "I need to talk with one of the town leaders, if they're available. Would you please bring one down here?"

"Okay!" The kids then ran off, eager to be bearers of this big news.

"Do we want to head straight over to the desert today?" Hurdy asked him. "I'd like to speak to the crystal, but I could do that tomorrow. And if my knowledge is right, Lynari is hot during the day, but not dangerously so. You might still want to skip out on the black armor, though."

"The leather armor should be suitable," Leon said, feeling like that was right. "Sure, we can head to Lynari Desert today. We have some extra water; we just need to be sure to find some shaded shelter for the papaopamus."

By the time they got the wagon off the boat and on the road, the kids had returned. The two selkies with them had duller hair, marking them as elders. After exchanging greetings, the old woman said, "The kids said you made the crystal more powerful. Did you really?"

"Sort of," Hurdy repeated. "It's no longer needed to protect against the miasma, so this changes its power. They used to be the Crystal of Life. For now, they have decided to reorganize into four crystals in order to heal the world from the scars left by the long curse of miasma. Your town is now the residence of the Crystal of Water. You should find someone who can listen to its guidance, but one of the first things you should know is that they don't want people to restrict access to them."

"As long as people don't try to drive us away from here, we don't mind that," the old man said. "Are you the ones who banished the miasma?"

"No, that was a selkie from Tipa, called Tsu Fai," Leon said.

"Wow, really?" one of the kids asked. Hurdy nodded to that.

"Her?" the old woman said, surprised but quick to smile at it. "She didn't seem like the ambitious sort. But it is wonderful; we may have to send someone to the mainland to offer our congratulations."

"There is someone who can hear the crystal here, so we're fine on that front," the old man said. "What are you two going to do now?"

"We need to go take care of the fourth crystal in Fum and some business on Mount Vellenge," Leon said. "But first, we need to take care of something in Lynari Desert. How are things there?"

"It's grown tamer," the old man said. "Some of our young folk went on an adventure out there after the miasma vanished. The monsters are not coming back as often as they used to; they didn't even see the most powerful monster there, a giant ant lion far in back with the myrrh tree. And the tree itself had withered up."

"That's what has been happening with myrrh trees everywhere," he said.

"They were a part of the cycle that kept miasma strong," Hurdy said. "So they're no longer needed and should fade away from the world. But the mana spring we're after should still be there."

The selkies of Leuda didn't delay them any longer; the elders even sent the kids off to make sure the road up the cliff was clear. There was some vegetation near the town, what the residents had managed to grow. However, the road quickly got dusty and dry. Succulents and other plants that could survive on miniscule amounts of water were the only plants outside where the guardian's range would have been. What animals could be seen from the rolling wagon were equally hardy.

"It's odd that the Crystal of Water would choose an island like this to reside on," Leon said. "It is in the middle of the sea, yes, but it's so dry on top of this massive rock."

"The presence of the crystal will change the land around it," Hurdy said, looking off into the desert now that it had been mentioned. "There is a mysterious old legend that may be of another world. It had four crystals that ruled the elements. Due to a scheme of forces of chaos, the four crystals lost power and darkened. As a result, the wind failed the blow, the waters went still, the earth rotted, and fire lost its heat. I think that with time, this arid island will have plenty of water around."

Leon thought about that a moment, then suggested, "Seems interesting, but how about we stick to the legend we've been following?"

That made Hurdy laugh. "Oh, yes! Well then… ah yes, we were going through how Cecil's friend Kain showed up and brought a demand from Golbez to fetch a crystal in exchange for Rosa. But getting that crystal would be a challenge because it had already been stolen..."

As they traveled along, a salty breeze seemed to follow them along. It took about twenty minutes to reach an old stable by the road. A sign near it warned that the desert ahead was dangerous. Although it was distant from the village, the stable was in good shape. There was even a water pump near a trough to make sure that a papaopamus left here would have something to drink. They got some water for theirs, then headed into the desert.

There was a short canyon leading into the desert itself. Before long, Hurdy put a hand in the air. "This wind feels like it's coming off the sea," he said.

"The crystal must be starting its work already," Leon said, feeling encouraged by that.

Then something caught his eye up in the air ahead of them. A shining glittering spot in the sky… he reached for his sword, his whole body going tense. At his side, Hurdy stared at the spot, putting a hand over his spell rings. "I-is that Raem? But he's gone."

 _You seek the holy mana spring?_ The light swung around gently, keeping out of reach.

"That isn't the same light," Leon said. The voice with it wasn't cruel, nor was it mournful; it was serene and noble. But even realizing that, he still felt like he should be ready for a battle.

It seemed Hurdy was in the same predicament. "Yes… yes, we're seeking the holy mana spring. I know how to activate it."

 _It's already active. Tell me how._

"Oh, I wrote a poem about that," Hurdy said, starting to recite it. He began to relax immediately. Listening to him, Leon managed to calm himself. This was not Raem.

 _Good. We know that one of you seeks the trial of the paladin. Consider this one stage of your trial. I have shifted the ways of this desert. The ways have become a riddle of magic. As your companion is the one who is versed in magic, you need to make sure he gets through this maze unharmed. Will you take this trial, Leon Esla?_

"Are you ready for this?" Leon asked Hurdy first.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Good, then we're ready for this trial," Leon said to the light. It seemed to be a manifestation of the crystals.

 _Very well, your trial will be complete when you get the blessing from the mana spring and then return here to the entrance._

They walked out into the desert and were immediately confronted with three goblins. Leon moved ahead to draw the goblins' attention to him rather than Hurdy. While it was harder, he slashed at one and hopped over to slash at another, keeping an eye on the third and listening to the battlefield. Hurdy helped him out with a new spell, setting a shielding wind around him. It did knock the goblins back a couple steps; fighting with aero on would take some getting used to.

Once he dispatched the goblins, Hurdy came forward. "I hope the shield didn't get in your way."

Leon shook his head. "I can work with this. Which way do we go?"

He glanced around. "If you imagine this place as a square, each side will move us to another square of desert. It won't necessarily be the side next to this square. Each square has a magic associate with it. I don't know about you, but I can read the magic. While there isn't an obvious riddle, I think we should try with the activation sequence. Which is, we start that way." He pointed to the right of where they had come in.

When they crossed the invisible boundary of the square, Leon felt a faint tingle like static. That was the only sense he had for it being magic. A massive zuu appeared, out of Leon's reach. As he still had Aero on him, Leon made sure to block the zuu's attacks until Hurdy could ground it with gravity. That let Leon dispatch it quickly. As they crossed the desert with its new wandering ways, it continued like that. Hurdy would figure out which way was next in sequence, more monsters would appear, they'd dispatch them, then Hurdy would find the next way. A couple of times, a monster would try to sneak around Leon to get to Hurdy; he didn't let them.

Then Hurdy came to a loss at one point. "We've gone through the whole sequence now, including casting Life on the spring," he said, looking around. "And these ones aren't simple spells now, more like the Gravity part."

Leon thought that Gravity required two magicites to cast, but he wasn't sure. "Which one relates most to Holy?" he asked, hoping that helped.

"Oh right, that's the simple answer!" he said, brightening up. "I should have noticed, but only one of these sequences will actually fuse to holy. You need a life magiciite and an elemental magicite, and it can't be elemental and then life or you get slow. So that's the way."

"I feel like that's the way we came, but that's magic for you," Leon said, following Hurdy over.

He laughed. "Yes, that's magic for you." They crossed the invisible border and ended up suddenly near a drop in the land. Scattered bones almost acted as a fence, right behind a fountain of pink-tinged light that sprouted out of a phantasmal flower. "Here it is! Since this crystal pendant has power, just placing it in the spring should be enough to switch the element to holy." Hurdy set his bag down so he could take the pendant off and do that.

Meanwhile, Leon's attention was drawn to the drop past the bones. The bottom of that pit was brown and, after a bit of watching, seemed to be moving. "Doesn't this look like mud water to you?" he said, pointing down there.

Hurdy examined the changed crystal, then looked over at the pit. Then he smiled. "Oh, yes, this area does look like it should be a lake. This is great! It wasn't as clear with the other two, but this proves the crystals are already at work. Hopefully more signs appear when we get the fourth together."

Leon nearly smiled back, but a shine briefly distracted him. It hovered over the muddy lake bed, then shot across towards them. Was that the crystal again? Leon watched as it went near Hurdy, bracing himself in case it wasn't. However, Hurdy was smiling at the light, so it probably wasn't dangerous. It then zipped off across the desert, making the air shimmer again.

Putting his hand to his cheek, Hurdy turned to the desert. "Hmm, it changed the ways again. None of these are thunder, so it's not going to be the same riddle..."

"Isn't there a magic for leaving a dungeon area?" Leon asked. "I seem to think it shows up in legends."

He nodded. "I was just thinking about that since the Crystal of Fire taught me that magic. This one is blocking me from using that, so we have to go along with its riddles. If it is the Exit sequence, it should be three or four squares back, and that's the first path."

He turned out to be correct; the path out only took them four squares to complete, the last of which Hurdy called silly because it was the whole sequence they'd just followed on one border. At the canyon back to the stable, the white phantom of the crystal appeared before them again. _You've both done well in completing this second trial._

"Second trial?" Leon asked. This trial was the path to the mana spring and back here, not both paths separate as far as he understood.

 _The first trial has already been initiated, although it may take some time to manifest. Without the miasma to cloud our vision, we've been watching you both. We've also been testing you both since we need some representatives of us among the intelligent races to help with healing the world. We will be expecting you both on Mount Vellenge, Hurdy and Leon._

"They're expecting us both there?" Hurdy asked, puzzled. "I mean, I was planning on going with you in case you needed some help with magic, but I didn't think of this."

Leon wondered about that. Hurdy seemed to be honest here, and he was less likely than his brother to be lying about something. However, he had suggested the initial plan for the paladin trial even if he acted skeptical of being the one to protect. Was it Gurdy's idea somehow? Or was it some spiritual insight into what proved to be the will of the crystals?

"Well I don't hear them as clearly as you," Leon said to encourage him. "I'm fine with agreeing to serve the crystals as a paladin if that's their intent in testing me, but I'd still need someone like you to either interpret them or teach me how to listen when they don't speak clearly. They'd be looking for a priest as well as a paladin."

"That could be," he said.

When they got back to town, it was getting late to be sailing from Leuda to Fum. Fortunately, the selkies welcomed them in staying the night, even setting up a bonfire in town to share stories and a late dinner. It was a boisterous and joyful night, and yet felt normal enough that it was reassuring. It made Leon feel like the years ahead could continue on like this, full of memories that he could keep and a blessing to everyone.

* * *

When they arrived in the town of Fum, the weather had grown windy. There were dark clouds filling the western horizon, where the plains of Rebena were. "It might be better to stay in this town for the day and see if that weather clears up tomorrow," Leon said as he pulled the wagon into the stable.

"Right, those might be bad storms," Hurdy agreed. The crystal guardian was visible from the entrance of town, standing by a windmill like it had a twin. The road had been lined with fields full of wheat and rice. While some of them would have been outside the crystal's protection, the plants grew without caring about miasma. Such food had to be purified, but that was as simple as leaving it in the presence of an empowered crystal.

This stable was large, mostly taken up by local bulls that helped out with the farmwork. A stablehand spotted them immediately and helped them get to an open slot. "Howdy folks," the clavat man said with a warm smile. "How long do you mean to stable your papaopamus?"

"Maybe a day, it depends on the weather," Leon said, hopping down to help unhook the papaopamus from its harness.

"Yes, we mean to head out west, but it looks stormy there today," Hurdy said.

"Don't blame you for that," the stablehand said. "Would you like me to wash down your papaopamus? She looks like she's been on the road a few days."

"Yes, thank you," Hurdy said. It would be good to leave their steed in the care of someone who knew animals well, like the people here. "We're here about the crystal, so we'll need to speak to a leader or elder of your town about them."

"Sure, I'll send my daughter to fetch the mayor," the stablehand said. "Are you going to be at the crystal?"

He nodded. "Yes, we'll be going right there."

Leon did head over to the crystal and windmill with him. "This place feels really peaceful, even if we've only been here a few minutes," he said.

"That's true," Hurdy said. "Tipa was the same way, but I didn't feel comfortable there. This place is different, though. I must not have spent a lot of time here."

The windmill's door was open, as a few clavats were inside working the mill. The crystal did not have an ornate setting. Aside from the altar, there was a ring of large weathered stones that the tall crystal sat in. In a nearby field, cows were grazing. An orchard was up on a hill too. This seemed like an ideal place for one of the crystals to take as a residence.

Hurdy brought out the crystal from Marr's Pass, deciding to go ahead with the prayer before those nearby decided to chat. His mind filled with thoughts of farms, forests, and mountains as he began. "Blessed Crystal, source of all Life, I come in service of you. The one who harmed you is gone. The one who brought the sickening miasma is gone. Now is the time for healing. From the fields of green to the mountains challenging the skies, become the sturdy protector of Life. You will now be reborn as a source of one of the great elements. You are now the Crystal of Earth. May you shine for all time, bringing the blessings of Earth into the world."

The crystal now glowed a vibrant green, much like the orchard on the hill. And people had gathered on seeing the transformation. Among them, he caught a glimpse of Amidatty and another yuke, presumably his girlfriend. That was surprising. But then, traveling between towns might become more popular now that it wasn't such a large risk.

 _A new balance has been given to the world. Thank you for assisting us with this move._

"It was an honor," Hurdy said, bowing to the crystal. A new understanding of various types of magic had been granted to him: the elements were the most basic form of magic and all other spells came from some combination of them. That much was basic to any serious practitioner of magic, but he was learning of more combinations that were mysteries these days. Like exit before, and now the comet magic that bomb-type monsters used. There were also spells that would be more practical for everyday life, such as purifying food and water of toxins like miasma.

 _We need to coordinate some things, and you need to speak with these people. When you come back from your quest to Mount Vellenge, we can speak in more detail._

He felt a little disappointed in that. Then again, if they were successful, the crystals might have more secrets to teach him. "All right."

Unfortunately, his fellow clavats were mystified by the changed crystal. They didn't know much about magic. There was one young woman who had been hearing the crystal speak since the miasma vanished, but they thought she was just being imaginative. But they did seem glad that the Crystal of Earth was residing in their village. The fields here were already rich for farming thanks to Veo Lu Sluice and the Jegon River, so the crystal's presence was sure to enhance their work even more.

But Amidatty was there, so there was someone who could understand things. The one who understood the crystal, Louisa, stuck around as well when the others headed back to their work. "I've been trying to study magic," she said. "But there's only three books on magic in this whole village, and I now own all of them. The crystal might be able to teach me now?"

Hurdy nodded. "Sure, it should agree to teach you if you do some work for it. It even knows a means for us to cast spells without rings like I have or magicite."

"Truly?" Amidatty asked, sounding impressed. "That would be wonderful to know, since magicite is restricted to dungeon areas."

"It sounds potentially dangerous to have more people able to cast magic outside of dungeons," Leon said. "It takes a lot of work to earn those rings, doesn't it? So those who have them are already well-versed in how to handle magic. Making spells easier to learn might lead to less responsibility in using them."

"Perhaps," Hurdy said. "But it seems like it would be easiest to learn this method by becoming used to casting spells through magicite or other means. Once you have a feel for the spell, then you'll catch on to how cast it on your own power."

"That's a shame since some spells seem like they'd be handy to have available more often," Louisa said. "Like Cure or Clear. Though my neighbors think knowing magic won't be as useful."

"They think that it would be cheating actual work, right?" Amidatty asked. "I run into that opinion often from clavats and lilties. They generally don't realize the amount of study and training that goes into knowing magic well enough to use it."

That gave Hurdy an idea, since she seemed really interested in this discussion. He took off his Cure ring, feeling that was one that was seen as more useful than not. "Right, you need to have knowledge and experience to be good with spells, which doesn't always give visible results to those without that." He then cast Cure to make sure he knew it well enough without the ring. From the look of it, he'd need more practice to use high level magic that called for Cure as a component, but he could do this. Then he handed the ring to Louisa. "Here, why don't you practice Cure with this?"

Her eyes wide, she nearly took it but stopped herself. "R-really? Are you sure of that?"

Hurdy nodded. "Yes, it's fine. I want to practice magic without relying on my rings, and this ring should be useful enough to help convince your family and friends to accept that you want to keep studying magic."

"Wow, thank you," she said, accepting the ring now. "I didn't get picked to be part of the crystal caravan because I get tired easily, so I didn't have a way to practice magic myself. This will help a lot; how can I repay you for this?"

"Don't worry about it," Hurdy said. "If you mean to work with the crystal, I'm glad to help you get started."

As the afternoon went on, the storms came in over Fum. They moved to the inn to continue their discussions. Eventually, Amidatty asked, "Do you mean to go to Mount Vellenge as well, Hurdy?"

He nodded. "The crystals want me to, and I was planning to even before they told me." A good part of it was that he wanted to see a paladin's trial himself; it was such a rare thing that this was a great opportunity. He also wanted to see Leon triumph; he deserved that.

But it was his fault that Leon had suffered for several years.

Hurdy tried to dismiss that. It was Raem's fault ultimately. However, the thought kept coming back into his mind. He'd tried to defeat Raem and failed; Leon had been with him, but Hurdy had been the one who should have known how to succeed. So he had deserved to suffer, but not Leon. But no, he shouldn't be thinking like that. They had a chance to start new lives now; regrets from the past weren't going to help. Besides, he didn't even remember the time they'd challenged Raem. There was nothing he could do about that now.

After a while of this, he found it hard to follow where the conversation was going. Hurdy excused himself to head back to the room they'd rented for the night. He set his hat aside and tried to read Path of the Paladin to give himself something else to think about. But the dark thoughts wouldn't let him go, even inflicting physical pain on him. He should calm down. There wasn't anything he could do about the past. But he'd messed up before and could mess up again.

This was like the other day, at Tipa's bridge. Was he going to lose control again? Hurdy felt like he should fall asleep or something; that felt like something that happened. He did have these attacks of guilt at times; he knew something like that had happened on the road to Shella. And his mind would simply blank out. That was when Gurdy would take over.

Nothing was happening today. The creak of a door made him tense; Leon came in. "Is something wrong?" Leon asked, coming over to check on him.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to pay attention," Hurdy said. "And, I'm sorry I failed our mission last time we went to Mount Vellenge. I thought I knew what needed to be done, but I didn't and both of us suffered for it."

"I don't blame you for that," he said.

His thoughts wound up again, trying to bring up things that were lost. "I should have known," he said, "but I don't know what was known."

Then Leon distracted him by putting a hand on one of his. "I have a very good reason for not blaming you," he said, the certainty of it clear in his eyes. "What I remember of my first meeting with Gurdy includes the news that my son was out to kill the Black Knight to avenge my death, not realizing that we were one and the same. And you had been the one to tell him that, having heard of it from the light that haunted us.

"What I think happened is that Raem set up me and my son for that tragedy. He loved painful memories, so it benefited him to set up tragedies. You also mentioned a couple days ago that your parents had also challenged Mount Vellenge, but they died for it. So I believe that Raem was continuing a line of tragedy with us; he may have kept something crucial from you so you would fail. But now he's no longer toying with the world, which has given us the chance to make it a better place. I think we should, so don't blame yourself. It's something we've both forgotten anyhow, and something better left so."

"You think so?" Hurdy asked, divided on whether to believe his theory or not. Leon nodded without hesitation, which was reassuring. "It makes sense. I should have thought of it, but I couldn't." He rubbed his head.

"It seems like it's the same kind of thing that happened to you at the bridge," Leon said, then smiled. "If you keep deciding on making things certain in your mind, you'll move away from these attacks. At least I hope that's so."

"Right, that'd be good," he said. His mind was winding down, leaving him feeling tired. "Thanks."

"You should get to sleep early tonight," he said. "Some good sleep can work wonders, as it certainly did for me."

"That's true," he said, smiling at that. "I think people would have a hard time believing you to be the Black Knight." Then a yawn escaped him. "Yeah, I should get to sleep. Good night, Leon."

"Good night, Hurdy," he replied, then went over to the other bed to read quietly.

It was a good fortune that he'd run into Leon, he thought as he let himself relax and go to sleep.


	7. Challenge

**Chapter 7: Challenge**

Although the weather still looked rough, Leon and Hurdy headed out west from Fum in the morning. The dirt road was clearly less traveled, with grasses growing in the middle and unpatched holes around. The structures were stranger, from forgotten civilizations or monster fortifications. As no large crystals had fallen in these lands past Fum, no places were inhabited by intelligent beings. There were occasionally campsites, with rings of stones around remains of fires.

They weren't going off the main road to dungeons, so other than some breaks to let the papaopamus rest, they traveled through the day to reach Mag Mell. The clouds were threatening, but it didn't storm until they were taking shelter under the giant pearlescent shells. As they weren't enclosed, the shells weren't much protection against the storms. The wind shook the shell, throwing the rain hard enough that it was difficult to talk. They ended up locking the wagon down under a shell and sleeping in there for the night.

In contrast, the next morning started off nice. There was an early mist that faded with the rising sun. While the ground was muddy, many flowers had bloomed in response to the rain. The strange structures of Mag Mell shimmered cleanly. The wind had calmed down to a pleasant breeze. Other than the muddy ground, it should be a decent day to go into the dungeon of Mount Vellenge.

It was a dungeon, one with a high level of danger. Leon knew this was the proper time to put on his full armor. The leather armor and some thin clothing made for padding underneath the heavy metal armor. Since it was made to be snug for best protection, he had to get Hurdy's help in getting the metal parts on. It covered him up entirely. Even the helmet had a special faceplate that allowed him a good range of vision without showing his face. It had been nearly a week, but it was a familiar weight that felt better to have back.

"Are you ready for this trial?" Hurdy asked him after they got his armor secure.

"Yes, how about you?" Leon asked. He wasn't worried about himself.

"Yes, I'll be fine," he said. And so they headed off.

Fortunately, Hurdy didn't freeze up at the base of the mountain. In fact, it wasn't long before he stopped to look at some faintly glowing grass growing in the rocky ground. The paths were old cracks in the mountain, jagged but weathered smooth. It should be dangerous, with plenty of places for monsters to jump down on them or attack from a hidden corner. However, it was quiet. Leon watched, but didn't see bad signs.

"What is that plant?" Leon asked, keeping an eye above.

"It's glowgrass," he said. "It doesn't look like much now, but it'll be much brighter at night. The thing is, it only grows in magic-rich environments. And if it's one of the first things we see, there's sure to be all kinds of rare and magical plants on this mountain. An herbalist or a potion brewer would love to come here."

"You seem quite intrigued yourself," Leon said, smiling at it.

"Right," then he seemed to realize something and got up. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to get distracted. It's just, this isn't a common plant even in dungeons."

"It's fine," Leon assured him. "I was expecting this place to be ominous and dangerous. But it feels so calm, at least here. We're also in no hurry; take whatever time you like."

Hurdy smiled in delight. "Right. I think I'll make notes on what plants we see, since other people would have more use of this information." He dug out his journal and made a note on the glowgrass.

There were a few monsters in their way, sentient mushrooms and strange monster guardians. But they were few and far between. Because of that, the narrow corridors actually worked to their advantage. Hurdy could keep to a corner or the path wall so that he could use his magic without monsters being able to sneak up behind him. Leon then needed less area to cover him completely. His weapon was strong enough to dispatch any magic resistant monsters around. Even with Hurdy making plant notes, they made good progress up the mountain.

Unknown centuries ago, the Crystal of Life had been here. But a meteor had crashed down, destroying the mountain and the crystal. That was the start of the curse of miasma. Although he didn't remember it, Leon felt like Hurdy had told him about that at some point. It was a legend that probably any scholar of magic would know. For them, it meant that at an apparent end of their path, they found themselves looking down in a massive crater. There was something like a giant specter in the center of it, a misty form with tiny sparkles and splinters around it.

"Look, the small pieces of the crystal have come back here," Hurdy said, then grabbed the shell pendant on his bag. The crystal was shining brighter than usual; Leon's own crystal pendant floated off his armor and disconnected from the cord. "Even with the four elemental crystals, the Crystal of Life is still around." He held his pendant out as the crystal on it lifted off and rejoined the specter with Leon's crystal.

 _Come forward, my seekers. I've been waiting for you._

They walked down the crater to meet up with the specter. "It's good to see that you've recovered as well," Hurdy said.

 _Not to my full power, but this situation is best for now. You both have responded to our request to come here for these trials. I would like to know from you both why you have chosen to come back here._

Why they came back… perhaps it meant why they were taking on the trials. Hurdy hesitated on answering, clasping his hands together and trying not to look away. Leon had a better idea of why he was doing this. "I for one don't want my legacy to be one of madness," he said. "I wasn't myself for all these years, forgetting everything when I fell asleep. Even if I'm not entirely my old self now, at least I can keep my new self rather than have it slip through my fingers. I also need to atone for what I've done in a state of madness. Following this paladin trial set me on a path to follow when I had nothing. If I happen to fail here, it may not be a loss after all because I've had enough stable days to find my own means of redemption. And if I do become a paladin to serve the crystals, I'm ready to do so out of gratitude. I can continue on this path of healing myself while helping to heal the world with you."

 _Then for yourself as much as for the sake of the world. But it is good you know that and do not pretend otherwise. For a soul in need of healing, such selfishness is forgivable. And you?_

Having been given a moment, Hurdy had his answer. "I came out of curiosity and needing a direction to go as well. I don't expect anything more for myself out of this. But, I do feel greatly calmed when speaking to you crystals. Like I've met back up with an old friend who still understands me better than myself. I have come to realize that that's truly the case; I would not have figured out that my brother and I are the same person on my own. I don't think even he would have realized it so soon. So if I can help my dear friends, that's what I want to be doing even if I feel that dearness more than know it."

 _You still don't understand yourself and your own intentions as well as a normal person should. But your situation is complicated and you are making progress towards understanding. Neither of you presented false answers about the path we gave you._

"Did you give the plan for this trial to Hurdy back in Moschet Manor?" Leon asked. The crystals hadn't been there, but they should have the ability to do so.

 _Yes, we did. Hurdy, you have the best talent for hearing our natural voices of the peoples in the world, so we called upon you to come. We knew you would need help to get here. Thankfully, circumstance put you with Leon when the miasma lifted. As he needed direction and healing as well, we felt it was best to call upon you both._

"Well I'm glad for that, as we both had a friend to start with," Hurdy said.

Leon nodded to that. "Right, I'm glad for that too."

There was a genuine feel of being happy around them. _This worked well. Now, the first trial we gave to you was a test of character. You both displayed compassion, courage, and commitment in your travels here. Leon also showed thoughtfulness to others over his own glory. Hurdy also showed wit and wisdom in solving our riddles. In this, you've both proven yourselves worthy. You also passed the second trial in Lynari Desert, so you shall take your third trial here._

 _Tsu Fai defeated Raem. However, he is a spirit who cannot be killed like beings such as yourselves die. He presents a threat even defeated. We have determined that the best way to handle him is to take away his memory and identity, much as he stole memory and identity from you both. That will allow him to be reborn as you both have, hopefully in a less cruel form. We will do what we can to help that._

"Then you want us to take out Raem's memory?" Hurdy asked. "How would we do that?"

 _I will send you to a realm of dreams; he will not be able to steal your memories there, but you will be able to defeat monsters of his memories. You will have to face your darkness before you can face Raem's memories as well. Are you prepared for this?_

It was what he was expecting from Cecil's story. "Yes," Leon said, with Hurdy quick to agree.

 _Then good luck. Once you defeat the darkness, we will support you against Raem._

There was a flash of light that absorbed them into darkness when it faded. There appeared to be nothing around them at first. After a moment, a ring of light appeared on the ground. "Ah, you finally got here," a familiar voice said.

"Gurdy?" Leon asked, puzzled at this.

"Gurdy?" Hurdy echoed, glancing at him.

"Yup, it's me," he said, appearing like a ghost in the ring with them. He was wearing the red diamond outfit as opposed to Hurdy's white coat. He smiled. "Heh, are you surprised? I'm not supposed appear outside your head, or at the same time as you."

"But this is a dream space, so you can," Hurdy said. "What are you doing here?"

"Eh, I was wondering if we should really be doing this," Gurdy said, putting his hands behind his head. "It's a job we can do, yes, but how are we going to get paid for being servants to the crystals? They wouldn't have gil."

"But it's in service of the world, not just the crystals," Hurdy said.

Gurdy shook his head. "Yes, but money makes the world go around, you know? You need gil to get food unless you're willing to steal. Even if you grow veggies and stuff, you'll need money for seeds, tools, and land. So what are you gonna do to provide for yourself? You too, Leon, you two gonna beg or steal or something?"

"There's nothing saying we can't do some side jobs for money," Leon said. He also could go back in the king's service as a knight; he knew the king was reasonable, enough to give an allowance for taking the crystals as the higher authority. It didn't explain what Hurdy would do. However, if he got accepted as a priest, many people were willing to support a traveling priest for their services.

"It is a necessity, but it's all too easy to focus solely on money," Hurdy said. "It's more important to help the crystals, but I would find something to help take care of myself. That's just common sense."

Gurdy shrugged. "Well you rely on an uncommon sense so often that I worry about you not following common sense. And I don't see why you're taking responsibility for so much. I mean, healing the whole world? It's a nice idea, but what can one person really do for something so big? And it's something that you might not see results from in your lifetime. So why put so much effort into this? Is the risk worth it?"

Hurdy frowned. "It's the wisdom of the crystals, and the Crystal of Life was the one who created all life and the world. If they say that this will heal the world, I trust them fully. Ignoring them would make the future worse for future generations, at best no different than now. I'm sure the crystals won't ask for something that I can't accomplish."

"You're sure you can have complete faith in the crystals?" Gurdy asked.

"Yes," Hurdy said.

"They've proven themselves to me in how they've helped us here," Leon added.

"Man, you both are simple folk," Gurdy said, sounding disappointed in them. "It all sounds good, but how's it going to work out in a practical sense? And with family? Leon, you have a wife and son even though you remember nothing about them. Are you gonna ignore them because they're strangers to you now?"

Leon felt troubled by the question; he did have a point. Jona and Leon Jr were strangers to him; he didn't think that he'd ever met his son. However, it felt wrong to ignore them. "My mind doesn't remember them, but my heart does," Leon said. "I don't mean to ignore them. It just might take some time for us to figure out how things are between us."

"Choosing the tough way then?" Gurdy asked.

"The right way," Leon said, certain of that.

"But not very good for yourself," Gurdy argued. "You might not be happy with the situation. And what about you, Hurdy? If you have to be off serving the crystal, you might not get a chance at that cute girl you met in Fum."

"What are you talking about?" Hurdy asked, puzzled.

"That girl Louisa," Gurdy said. "You should remember her, since you gave her your Cure ring."

He still seemed puzzled. "Right, that's because she was really interested in learning magic, but she needed somewhere to start."

"Come on, didn't you also do so because she's cute?" Gurdy asked. "That is a rare artifact; you should know that. It's not something that would be given away willy-nilly. On some level, you were giving that to her to impress her."

"I didn't think I was," Hurdy said, embarrassed and still confused about this. "Why are you arguing like this? We wouldn't have come all the way to Mount Vellenge on a whim."

Gurdy shrugged. "Maybe, but what were you expecting here?"

"We were facing the trial of darkness," Hurdy said, then seemed shocked. "But, you?"

"Why not me?" Gurdy said, hiding his smile behind the high collar of his coat. Or maybe that was a smirk. "You were expecting to face Leon's darkness? But he has already decided firmly that he does not want to leave that legacy behind; that would be too easy. On the other hand, I am your darker side. I only care about myself, and you by extension since you're my lighter side. My decisions guide our actions as much as yours do, even if we only affect each other subconsciously now. I'm a bit of a failure as a con artist, so I've made many people hate us. You've been lucky so far, both of you, but you won't stay lucky in avoiding the consequences of what you don't know you did. And since neither of you remembers the depths of your darkness well, we will continue to haunt you in the future."

"Well… um..." Hurdy said, having gone pale as he realized that people hating Gurdy meant that people might hate him.

"We'll deal with things as they come," Leon said. "And try to make the world a better place for having us in it. That's what we should do, and will."

Gurdy sighed at that. "Well, maybe your darker side can't speak up like I can. But I for one don't like this business. I don't want to be tied down by anything, not by duty, not by another person, not by boring work. Only one person should be inhabiting one body, so it seems that I'll have to take over to stop you from being stupidly selfless. That's what got us in this situation in the first place." He then cast a strange spell at them, a tide of damaging bubbles.

Leon was half the size of Hurdy (and he wasn't a particularly tall clavat at that), but he still tried to block the spell from reaching his friend. After a second of shock, Hurdy cast a protective magic shell over them both. "Wait, why are you doing this?" Hurdy asked, holding back on anything more.

"I just told you why," Gurdy said, then started casting a spell that caused a dark red ring under him. That seemed like the Comet spell. Leon wished he had some means to draw the spells to himself; his armor was capable of withstanding magic.

"But it doesn't make sense," Hurdy insisted, not casting anything in response. "We're brothers… I mean, yes, it's not in the normal fashion, but still..."

Gurdy finished his Comet spell, causing a flaming meteorite to fall on them. It would have struck them both, but something clicked in Leon's mind right as the comet changed its angle so that it struck only him. While it knocked him back a step, it didn't seem to put him in a dangerous state.

Still, Hurdy put a hand on his shoulder and cured him. "We worked through our emptiness together with the journals, Gurdy, so I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't think he wants to hurt you either," Leon said.

"What are you talking about?" Gurdy asked as a challenge, seeming like he didn't care. He cast a Thunder spell at them.

And again, Leon found the ability to make the magic strike only him. "I don't believe you're using your full strength in these spells. If you had, you might have taken me out already."

"And you're worried about me, so I know you care no matter how you say it," Hurdy said. "Why does there have to be only one of us? We have a fragmented personality, so this is normal for us. We shouldn't be fighting each other."

"Can we really coexist?" Gurdy said. "I am your darkness; I cause you problems. And you keep me from doing what I want. Do you really want me around?"

"Yes, because I often miss things that you notice immediately," Hurdy said. "If we could talk more freely, like we are now, I think we'd both be better off."

"You really want to keep me around?" he asked.

Hurdy nodded. "Yes. I don't care if you're my darkness because I don't believe that you're evil."

Gurdy laughed at that, tipping his hat. "Well I don't think I'm evil either. Maybe a fool, but not evil. But I had to try you on behalf of the crystals."

"I see," Hurdy said, relaxing at that. "But why would I fight with you anyhow?"

"Eh, you might change your mind on that," Gurdy said. "Hopefully it's not bad, but we are different. According to what the crystals told me, we did co-exist like brothers before confronting Raem, able to talk to each other. You were in control most of the time, but I did take over if I felt you needed it. If you can accept that you're not all sunshine and dreams because of me, well I would like to go back to that kind of existence. I'm just afraid that I'll end up annoying you."

"Well that's how brothers are, right?" Leon said jokingly.

"Right," Gurdy said cheerfully. "Well, for your trial here, I did my best to provoke and threaten you. But both of you questioned that and did not attack back."

"It was strange of you," Leon said. "You're a friend too, so I wanted to be sure what was going on."

"Right, we don't want to hurt you needlessly, even when you're being aggressive," Hurdy said. "I have a feeling, you'd avoid conflict and battle as much as possible."

"Ah, you got me there," Gurdy said. "As a result, you've both passed this trial. Leon, you have shown selfless courage despite your uncertainty after escaping your haunted state of madness. You have been accepted as a paladin of the crystals."

 _Yes, we believe you will grow into that legacy well._

Something shone around him, changing his armor and weapon. The latter became a true sword rather than something that resembled a crooked cudgel. Instead, it was a shining white sword that was nearly as big as he was. It had to be secured to a brace on the back of his new silver and white armor, near the shoulder. The concealing helmet was replaced with a partial helm that allowed his face to be seen. He was also given some new knowledge: some spells, some tactics to prioritize protecting others, and more about the spell draw ability. If he practiced that ability enough, he could learn to reflect magic back to its user.

"I'm honored to be given this path, thank you," he said. It did demand the strictest honor out of him, including finding ways to make amends for those who had suffered because of his time as the Black Knight. It was what he most wanted to do.

"I'm sure people will quickly realize you're worthy of this honor," Gurdy said. "Also, I did have to take my own trial while waiting for you both here. They think I still need to learn more restraint and such." He shrugged. "Maybe that's so, but anyhow, Hurdy, your better attitude has earned you acknowledgment as a sage of the crystals."

"A sage?" Hurdy asked, shocked at it. His attire didn't change as drastically, but he was given a staff that seemed to be made of an ancient piece of wood. Strange symbols could be seen carved all along it.

Gurdy nodded. "You have great knowledge, including that of many types of magic. Plus you can hear the voices of higher beings like the crystals, giving you secret knowledge that few others can attain. And it seems that I'm keeping you balanced with more earthly knowledge, which helps you in being worthy of the title of sage. Although, I've still got some ways to go before they might consider acknowledging me like that."

"If I can get named a sage, I think you could too," Hurdy said. "You know, since we're in a dream, you could probably stay with us and help take out Raem's memories."

"I would like that," Gurdy said, nodding to that idea. "Let's go show him what he's done to the world."

They were moved to another place, one that looked like Moschet Manor. Unlike the real manor, there were many monsters in the central courtyard. Leon wasn't worried, though. He had Hurdy and Gurdy here, both of whom were skilled magic users who could attack multiple targets at once. They soon proved that they could combine their Comet spells to summon a storm of meteors that cleared out most of the room in one shot.

One they cleared the Moschet Manor room, the dream changed to something that resembled Mushroom Forest. As they continued to clear out monsters, the areas became misty and faded. They eventually came to a place that seemed to be made up of clouds and sky. Raem himself was there, confused and noticeably weakened. Brown feathers fell off his wings like spring blossoms on the wind. "You, what are you doing? You're my toys..."

"No we're not," Hurdy said.

"Right, people shouldn't be toys," Leon said. "Even the crystals agree that you've gone too far."

"You can't defeat me," he growled.

But they could now that the crystals could actively help them.

And so they did.

* * *

It was a gorgeous day at the Fields of Fum; the sun shone bright over a land without miasma. The residents were off at work, able to reach acres of fertile land that had required small crystals and risky adventures to use. Near the entrance of town, Leon had the papaopamus wagon ready to head on. But Hurdy was staying behind. "The elements of Water, Fire, and Air are well understood these days, but not Earth," he said. "So I want to learn as much as I can from this crystal."

"That makes sense," Leon said. "They gave us a broad mission to start with, so I'll leave this town to you."

Hurdy nodded. Once they had taken care of Raem, the crystals had asked them to help the tribes of the world grow closer in their coexistence. They were peaceful with each other for the most part, but most of them kept isolated from the others. The clavats at Fum might not be much trouble, but they might help their goal. Then Hurdy frowned a moment.

Leon nearly chuckled at that. "Is Gurdy still bugging you about that girl?"

"Yes," Hurdy admitted. "It wasn't on my mind, but..."

"Give it a shot, you might be pleasantly surprised," Leon said. "I have to talk with my family about our future. Maybe we'll move out here, maybe not. Either way, I do have to help convince other lilties to not be as dismissive of other tribes."

"I hope they listen," Hurdy said with a smile. "I'm sure the crystals will bring us back together if needed."

Leon smiled back. "Right. I'll send a letter by moogle after I get back. Take care."

As the ferry was on the Fum side of the river, Leon was able to reach Alfitaria by late afternoon. He should report in to the king, that he was alive, sane, and serving the crystals. But that could wait until tomorrow; he'd probably need to send advance notice of that. For now, he wanted to get back to his family. There was a problem that he wasn't sure of where their home was anymore. He thought that housing areas of this city were restricted as well.

The city felt familiar, nearly disorienting. But he recalled what Hurdy had said about the shells. He didn't have to worry about what was missing. Eventually, he'd find this place familiar with things he did remember. He followed his feelings, leading him to a large stairway heading up to a higher level of town.

A pair of lilty knights were waiting there. "This area is restricted to residents only," one of them said.

"Hang on," a voice that seemed familiar said. His dark helmet did obscure most of his face. "Is that you, Sir Esla?"

"Yes," he said. "I'm sorry, you seem familiar, but I can't remember."

"I've heard, so it's fine," he said. "I'm Sol Racht. My first year with the Alfitaria caravan was your last year with us, so I learned a great many practical skills from you. It's great to see you back, but what happened to your armor?"

"I still have it, but don't need it now," Leon said. "I've become a paladin, so the crystals granted me this set for my service to them."

"That's amazing!" Sol Racht said, impressed at it. "And so fitting for what I remember of you. Welcome back home; we're proud to have you as one of us."

He smiled at that, although something had him worried. "Thanks, although some people might not be happy with what news I brought here. But that's for later. I really don't remember anything from before about a week ago, but I was trying to come back home."

"Jona still lives at your old home, this way," Sol Racht said, gesturing to one of the streets before leading him there.

It was more difficult to put aside the unsettled feelings of emptiness on seeing his home. There was far too much that he should remember about this place. Since he wasn't sure, he knocked at the front door. This should go well; she was warm in her letter. He hoped he wouldn't cause them trouble.

After a minute, a lilty woman answered the door. "Yes?" she asked at first, then got a good look at him. Before he knew it, she was hugging him tight. "Leon! You're back!"

It surprised him, but he felt wonderfully happy right now. "Yes, I'm sorry it took so long, but I did return to you."

The world would be right again.


End file.
